I would agree with you that these tendencies are not typical and, in that sense, could be thought of as abnormal. But abnormal doesn't mean "mentally ill."

Mentally ill means that a person has trouble taking care of themself and handling normal responsibilities, like keeping a job. A mentally ill person experiences pretty severe emotional distress, beyond what you are describing.

Some members of PC would disagree with me and expand the definition of mental illness to include a lot more than I would include. If you had acne, would you say, "I am in poor health."? Few people would consider themselves unhealthy on the basis of having acne, even bad acne. It is a skin disease, but it doesn't interfere much with most of the ways a person needs to function to cope with life.

Your tendencies toward these compulsive behaviors are a sign of something. One theory is that compulsive behaviors are related to some sort of anxiety problem. It's a theory. It's a possibility. Give that some thought.

No doubt, you'ld feel more relaxed if you didn't have these tendencies. You can set out to limit the hold they have on you. Check out the library and articles online about OCD and anxiety disorders. You'll probably never ger rid of them completely. They may change in intensity, depending on what's going on in your life.

Be assured that some very successful people throughout history have had some very strong tendencies like yours - even way more bizarre and harder to control. If it wouldn't make you feel uncomfortable, ask some people who know you well to describe how you seem to them, in terms of anxiety, being very particular, etc. Other people can often see us better than we can see ourselves.