- I get intrusive thoughts that won't go away: me harming myself and others, children and animals, doing disgusting things, seeing, smelling, tasting disgusting things, hearing things that shake me to the core.
- When I get an idea in my head I can't let go of it. Example: the last few months I've decided that it's time to start thinking about going back to college. So I have been spending that entire time researching colleges and universities (not just in my city but all over Canada), planning out ENTIRE degrees for multiple programs (because I can't figure out what to take), and applying and then changing my mind so wasting money on application fees. A few days ago I had another agoraphobic episode that made me realize that expecting to do school in public was likely unrealistic (given all the other things I deal with as well) so now the last two days I've been researching online programs. It just doesn't quit.
- perfectionism. There is no such thing as 'too perfect' and I spend basically half my time feeling like I'm losing my mind because everything just unravels when I start to think about it because I can always 'break it down' in my mind even further. Until there is nothing. And then it appears to me that nothing exists and I start freaking out and can't escape. Also in this category: I was raised by an undiagnosed OCD father, and there was always a 'right way' to do things, right down to how many squares of toilet paper to use, and how to fold the dishcloth, etc. So I have internalized these things (not all came from him, a lot of it is just things I've 'perfected' in my own life) and I have a really hard time with my partner 'cutting corners'. She does the dishes and always forgets any dishes on the stove and never wipes the surfaces in the kitchen. I have to fix it. I can't just leave it like that.
- counting. I count specks on the ceiling, lines on the road, I really am not going to list the things I count. I count everything. And I make up songs and rhythms in my head to keep track of how many there are (I have several tried and true ones that I've been using since about the age of 6).
- disorganization: I cannot leave the house if the bed is unmade. Open cupboards freak me out. I can't relax in a cluttered room. I can't just 'let things go', ie. my partner always leaves her clothes on the floor on her side of the bed. It gives me so much anxiety.
- I don't do lightswitch-flipping or handwashing but I have other things: I can't step on cracks. I have to cross them, and thresholds, and land on the bottom step of a flight of stairs with my right foot. I have to snap my fingers a certain number of times before I go to the bathroom and if there are magazines in there with people on them I have to hide their faces so they're not looking at me.
- when one part of my body gets itchy I will suddenly be itchy all over, sometimes for an hour straight.
- I am obsessed with picking at the skin around my nails and toenails.

I'm sure I'm forgetting some. It's different with everyone.