I have compulsions to do things again and again. I can't make a decent cup of coffee without having to stir it for like a couple of minutes. I keep checking whether the gate is locked, keep having to look on my phone to see if my alarm is set. Sometimes on the computer I re-type and delete and do it again until my compulsion is gone. Same with reading. I feel like I have wasted some time and it's a pain. I wonder what the cause of it is and have any of you found some ways to cope with it? Thank you.

I have things like this. I have major compulsions that required medication to get under control, but I still do things like take ages just to write a single message because I have to type and re-type (and re-type and re-type). I have to check my sent messages probably a dozen times to make sure I said exactly what I intended to say.

Just curious, if you consciously don't let yourself do these things, does it cause significant anxiety? One method of treatment is very purposefully NOT carrying out our compulsions, and just sitting with the discomfort it causes us, because our brains can be rewired over time to no longer associate our compulsions with relief. I've had some success with this for some compulsions (I've stopped carrying them out) but I'm still working on it with others.

[DowdyTheFifth]

For me I get an absurd amount of anxiety if I try and avoid acting on my compulsions, like checking to make sure the door is locked. If I do not go back to make sure, my anxiety will eat me up until I get back. It's frustrating because my anxiety is already super bad, which makes my OCD worse, then if I try to ignore the compulsions, my anxiety goes even higher.

[yellowmouse19]

Have you ever tried to speak to someone professionally about this? I think the previous question asked was important though, and that is do you feel unbearable and intense anxiety when not performing these tasks?

[BeaFlower]

Hi. I have OCD and what you describe sounds like it, but as other people said, it depends also on how much anxiety you have if you try to resist. Also, do you have the impression something bad will happen if you don't do those things?
I don't know if you have a therapist, but I think it would help to talk to one, it helped me a lot. One thing that I do is to give myself a limit of times to repeat the thing, than I have to stop also if I don't want to. Usually with time it becomes more natural and you feel less discomfort. But at the beginning it can be difficult, so I think it's better to do it with the support of a therapist.