Obsessive Compulsive Disorder help

I feel like I have OCD, but it does not cause too much wastage of time. I do feel the need to perform rituals. for example :
- looking at the clock even number of times
- touching my hair and sratching my scalp sometimes
- putting certain objects in "mental cages" before starting an acitivity like eating a meal, watching television etc etc..
- Although I do not do this now, I used to wash my hands repeatedly when I was about 10-14 years old (i'm 22 now)
- I also used to be (not anymore) obsessed with symmetry
- there was a time (10-14 yrs of age) when I used to silently count for no reason at all. mostly before starting an activity.

Even though I feel like I have always had OCD symptoms, it hasn't ever interfered with daily activities too much.

Oh and I do have almost all the symptoms of ADD (innattentive type only) and anxiety disorder.

So can a person be diagnosed with OCD even though these rituals (mental or physical) don't affect the person's daily activities too much?

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xAshesx said:
I feel like I have OCD, but it does not cause too much wastage of time. I do feel the need to perform rituals. for example :
- looking at the clock even number of times
- touching my hair and sratching my scalp sometimes
- putting certain objects in "mental cages" before starting an acitivity like eating a meal, watching television etc etc..
- Although I do not do this now, I used to wash my hands repeatedly when I was about 10-14 years old (i'm 22 now)
- I also used to be (not anymore) obsessed with symmetry
- there was a time (10-14 yrs of age) when I used to silently count for no reason at all. mostly before starting an activity.

Even though I feel like I have always had OCD symptoms, it hasn't ever interfered with daily activities too much.

Oh and I do have almost all the symptoms of ADD (innattentive type only) and anxiety disorder.

So can a person be diagnosed with OCD even though these rituals (mental or physical) don't affect the person's daily activities too much?

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Altho to a point we can say certain things or in your case OCD isn't affecting your daily life, it actually might be. Mental disorders are funny because they aren't ever truly understood in my opinion, while you have some symptoms for sure a professioinal would hav eto diagnose it. It's hard to say if it is affecting your daily life until it stops...with meds it can....that way you'd notice a difference maybe.

I'm not a doctor so I can't tell you if you have OCD or not. Below is the criteria for diagnosing OCD.

I will reply to your other post too, but I don't think its a good idea to diagnose yourself at all. I mean, we can all find bits and pieces of most disorders that will fit us, but it doesn't mean we have them. Only a professional can diagnose you.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-IV 300.3 OCD)
A. The Person Exhibits Either Obsessions or Compulsions
Obsessions are indicated by the following:

The person has recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress
The thoughts, impulses, or images are not simply excessive worries about real-life problems
The person attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, impulses, or images or to neutralize them with some other thought or action
The person recognizes that the obsessional thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of his or her own mind (not imposed from without as in thought insertion)
Compulsions are indicated by the following:
The person has repetitive behaviors (eg, hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (eg, praying, counting, repeating words silently) that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be applied rigidly
The behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviors or mental acts either are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent or are clearly excessive.
B. At some point during the course of the disorder, the person has recognized that the obsessions or compulsions are excessive or unreasonable. (Note: this does not apply to children.)
C. The obsessions or compulsions cause marked distress, are time consuming (take more than 1 hour a day), or significantly interfere with the person's normal routine, occupational/academic functioning, or usual social activities or relationships.
D. If another axis I disorder is present, the content of the obsessions or compulsions is not restricted to it (e.g., preoccupation with drugs in the presence of a substance abuse disorder).
E. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiologic effects of a substance (e.g., drug abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition.