OCD/Phobias - Personal Experiences

• Before I go to sleep, I have to check every single tap in the house and ensure that there is no water dripping. Like Bloody Mary, I stand before the tap/mirror and observe the tap for a good 2 minutes. I whisper and threaten for it to DARE leak! And when a little baby water drop tries to escape, I go ballistic and summon up all my Hercules and Greek Goddess strength to twist the knob of the tap TIGHTER. Process repeated again UNTIL there is no signs of water dripping.

• Before I go to sleep, I have to check EVERY single door and verify that it is indeed locked. I will look cautiously around in case any ghosts are hovering around and I would stand before the door knob and turn it around to check if it's locked. Despite knowing that it is locked, I would walk two steps backwards than come running back to confirm that I did not hallucinate that it was locked. YEP! It's true, I don't trust my own brain! 🤣 I have even whispered to myself 'It's locked Samira, it's locked - damn it you stupid person it's locked!' Then I would turn off all the lights and hold onto the mentally constructed Olympic torch as I dash down the corridor screaming out my prayers and not looking over my shoulder in fear that a banshee is running after me in the dark. True story.
  

• If I'm cleaning the house and I'm wiping the tables with a detergent or cleaning powder (Woah woah *shakes head* Just had a moment of remembering the ad Washing powder nimral washing powder nimral dood se safedi nimral se aye)...Anyway where was I? Oh yes so when I'm wiping the desk or whatever and I have a bit of cleaning powder on my finger than I would remember the Caution/Warning label that states to clearly avoid contact with skin. In my fear of getting washing-powdered-poisoned, I run to the tap and scrub the living daylights out of my fingers. No ordinary soap is good enough for me. I have to use shampoo and conditioner (because my shampoo says the results are better with the conditioner and my conditioner says the same about my shampoo - MARKETING at it's finest). I wash my hands for a good ten minutes! 🤣

• Speaking about cleaning - DISH washing is my number one opponent. I would rather scrub the toilet with my own hands than have to stand before the dishes and wash them. I also have an aversion against soggy food items. YUCK! I don't know if I have been conditioned to react this way but whenever I start to wash the dishes (after having my siblings reject my offer of bribery), I have this insatiable urge to pee. So, when I put the dishwasher detergent on the cloth/sponge and I wipe the dishes. I have to wash EVERY trace away. I have a fear that my family would be dish washing-detergent-poisoned if any traces of bubbles remains. I spend more than 5 minutes ferociously wiping away the single spoon. Then I would look at it again, and WIPE it all over again.
  

• PHOBIAS - I absolutely cannot STAND cockroaches. Unlike Viraj who is fond of drinking them out of his Suhag-raat milk, I simply cannot even look at them without having tears form into my eyes. I once encountered a flying cockroach, it touched me...I had a shower 5 times, scrubbing my skin raw whilst sobbing in remembrance. I even had a nightmare that a cockroach was on me whilst I slept and I woke up slapping my body and twitching occasionally.

• Apart from having a 200 year old wobbling stature of an ancient Grandma when standing in places that are too high, I also have this Phobia against people who bite their nails. Call it an OCD to attack them when near, but the sound and image of bitten nails destroys my intestines. You bring me the most hottest man alive and offer him to me for free - and if his nails have any signs of being bitten, I will look over his shoulder and openly embrace Yash Chopra.
  

• I have an obsession with hygiene. NO ONE can put their hands on my food and expect me to eat it. I've had this obsession since I was 2 years old. Nobody could touch my food or I would not eat it. In fact when we purchase packets of big chips, everyone has to have their own packet in the house. I have to FINISH that packet within 24 hours of opening it and can not scrunch the top up and leave it in the cupboard to resume eating the next day. ABSOLUTELY NOT! The other Viraj in me whispers 'But Samira what if in your absence, someone else opens your packet and eats some chips. Their fingers, who knows where it's been is touching your food. Spreading the germs...What if they lick their fingers and continue digging in? What if they had recently bitten their nails or picked their nose? What if...That thought eats me alive and hence I wont leave my chips open for the next day. Mind you, I cannot eat chips that has not been opened by me first. Which is why whenever I go to my relatives house, I never eat their chips because it has already been opened with THEIR fingers! * DEN DEN DEN *
  

• I have a problem when someone rolls little balls of paper or bluetack around the tip of their fingers. You know when some people break off a piece of bluetack or paper and roll it into small little balls with their fingers? Well that image DISTURBS ME. I picture someone picking their nose and rolling their boogers around - only to flick it away. *Shivers*
  

• Another obsessive little habit? I have to check my teeth EVERY time I eat something. I have a fear that food will be stuck in my teeth and when I smile, I would make a fool out of myself. So when I'm finished eating, I cannot make conversation or smile UNTIL I get out my mirror and check. In fact once I had forgotten my mirror and so I had to quickly dash to the bathroom. On my way, I saw a few mates of mine and they started to approach me. I panicked, closed my mouth shut and tried to quicken my pace. *Den den den!* They caught up to me and started a short conversation. I had to reply cautiously, opening my mouth enough to respond but not enough to display my teeth. I looked like an epic loser.

• Other small stuff would include not being able to leave my shoes upside down. The sight bothers me. It has to ALWAYS be next to each other and in perfect position. The hair straightener is a horrid horrid obsession. I have a fear that if I forget to turn it off, my house will burn down. So before leaving the house, I have to check if the hair straightener is indeed off. I have to pull the plug out and keep it away from the Powerpoint and even then I need to reassure myself that it is TURNED OFF. My sister would question how it is possible for the device to be on when it's not even plugged in BUT I still need confirmation.
  

• By now you all probably are thinking 'Whats Viraj doing in the show, cast him aside and bring this weirdo instead!' I was thinking the same 😳. My most weirdest obsession has yet to be announced. It's weird because it is hard to comprehend. Even I cannot describe it properly since I get confused myself. I have an issue with shiny looking toes, fingertips and noses. 🤣😳 Somehow when I look at a person who has a shiny looking nose, than I have a prediction that their toes and fingertips must be shiny as well. The toes puts me off the most. Round, shiny toe tips is another phobia. I just cannot overlook shiny people. = \ I make no sense! Viraj has even raised his eyebrow and is looking at me oddly.
  

Anyway, I also have my own little or big OCD's. I was wondering whether any other members have any odd little obsessions that they would like to share?