OCD?

Hi
I usually post on the Crohns Disease forum as I have Crohn's, but after quite a few years of being called a 'clean freak' by my kids and friends, am not sure if I have OCD too. I need to vent out so apologise if this is long winded!!
My partner about a month ago caught me in the kitchen and asked me why I was wiping the sink down, not just once but 7 times until I thought it looked ok! And then he commented on how I usually start on sink, then the work tops, wiping them all down, not just if there is a spill but the whole thing..... doing the top of the bin until there are no marks on it ( we have a stainless steel bin!) and then doing the sink yet again. He says I have done it since he met me, 3 years ago but didn't want to say anything to upset me but now it has got worse since my partners dad was in hospital(in december) and we found out he had MRSA with a huge foot infection, and has he had diabetes it is not healing and actually getting worse, and also their house is not the cleanest of houses (I know I am a very clean person but the house has not had a PROPER clean for years! It reminds me of the movies with the haunted house and cob webs!!!!) We have slowly been tackling his mum and dads house to try and get it clean, as they are both elderly and can not cope to do it now,which is proving to be very difficult as they have neglected it for so long.
I like everything to be in a certain place as well, and know exactly when it's been moved and have to move it back until it feels right, which might take me half an hour for one or two objects depending on my mood. I clean every day, regardless if it 'looks' dirty or not and if I don't do it I get uptight that it's not done,if I haven't cleaned a room, I go to bed and cant stop thinking about it, trying to persuade myself it can wait til the next day,some times I will get up and clean it, other times I take a sleeping pill, hoping I will drift off quick enough before I have to get up and do it!.
When I am angry, upset or worried about something, which seems to be most of the time at the moment, BOY! beware......everything comes out to be cleaned.....It's not getting any easier even with knowing that I do it either, I can not stop myself from doing it! My partner sprinkled water on the drainer of the sink last week and told me to leave it there, I went into the lounge and was nearly in tears until I HAd to get up after about 10 minutes and wipe it over so it was spotless again, I couldn't stand it!
My partner laughs (jokingly) when we go shopping at all the cleaning materials that go in the trolley, I always have a huge stock, especially bleach, antibacterial kitchen sprays, washing powder and softener. I even dreamt the other week he took all the cleaning stuff from under the kitchen sink, which woke me up in a frenzy and had to go down stairs to make sure it was all still there...and checked again when I came home from work in the morning as I was on nights as well!!!
Is this OCD or just anxiety about my partners parents house and his dads health, although I know I was cleaning a lot before too, just worse now???

I am not a doctor either..

But from what I see. You do have some OCD. If you can not relax because there is spots in the sink. Yea that is a problem. Have you seen the show called Monk? He is that way in real life. I don't as bad as the show makes him out to be but he is close.

There is a great program that I used to get out of my cleaning OCD. Its called Flylady. Its a scheduled cleaning routine. You work a certain amount of time everyday in certain area's. No more no less.
FYI.. the first step is to shine your sink =) Clean it out spotless then keep it clean. The last step of the day is to shine your sink. Cover it and make sure everyone in the house knows that any dishes brought in after that time either go in the dish washer or under the sink in a basin.

This little program is free. And is awesome. It has taught me that I will get to that clutter on Tuesday instead of NOW. I have learned to relax and enjoy myself. Everything is planned out. You visit the site and they have fly things you do extra for that day.

You get to take control without over doing it. One of the things my doctor told me is cleaning is one of the only things I felt like I could control. Well instead of it controlling me. I stepped up and controlled it.. Man the feeling was awesome when I finally broke free. Knowing that I didn't have to stress over one load of laundry not getting done was one heck of a great nights sleep. Finding out it was OK for me to wait.

Now my house is clean, on a schedule that doesn't stress my friends, and family. I have time to sit and read a book and know that I did what I should do. No one expects anymore than what I have done. If the floor didn't get swept perfectly clean I can do some more on it tomorrow and I'm not going to worry.

Check it out. It might help you. It did me. If you can teach yourself to live by the rules it sets forth you will lose the huge burden on your shoulders and learn to accept the spots in the sink.

Good luck
Cary

YOU HAVE AN OCD!

OCDs come in different shapes and forms. I have a psychological OCD in which I dwell on horrible things over and over again until they have me in hysterical tears. My co-worker has a cleaning OCD where she cannot step foot into her house and function until she has gone through and made sure every bed is made, and she starts with the same room every day. And then there's the OCD where people have to do the same things over and over again like closing a door three times, etc...

It's ok, a lot of people have OCDs :) You're not crazy. I don't have an OCD about cleaning but I HATE when someone dirties my freshly cleaned house. So I couldn't imagine having an OCD about it. I'd feel like I was always cleaning after people. I would direct my anger towards them and not have any friends LOL

Flylady is a wonderful website.