I have an issue with locks

[Geek]

I have issues with locks. When l leave the house, I have to check all of the door locks repeatedly until it feels right. And I have this goofy fear of leaving my wallet somewhere when traveling.

Has anyone been told why we do things like this?

[Babylot]

Hi,

I just wrote you a really long, carefully-worded answer and it seems to have been lost somehow. Anyway, I'll try to summarize.

I think this is a pretty standard OCD thing - I've certainly had similar issues. In fact, the reason I realized I had OCD is that I had to lock up at work and it took me ages and a colleague (who also has OCD) raised the issue and lent me some books. That said, I know lots of 'normal' people who have to go back and check their locks - I think the important is whether you're ritualizing it and whether it's causing you anxiety/distress.

Thanks to my colleague, I read that the best thing to do is just walk away. This way you retrain your brain. So what if the door isn't locked? Will the world end? Probably not. You should also try to remind yourself that if you've checked once, it's probably OK and make a note of the fact that when you come home, the door is still locked.Obviously, this isn't always easy (sometimes excruciating) but I think it's good to aim to try and just walk away. But, anyway, I'm no mental health expert, so if it's really a problem, do try to get some help.

As for why it happens, I'm not sure, I've read that for people with OCD certain parts of the brain don't function in the same way that they do in 'normal' people. Perhaps someone else could shed some light here?

Hope that helps.

[Geek]

Thanks for the reply

I think I can safely say the lock thing is a ritual; it makes me late for work. I will try walking away. It will probably cause a lot of anxiety but if I can stop the ritual it would be worth it. Do you remember the names of the books?

[Jitters]

This reminds me of what I do as well. I check the locks three times. This includes my front door and my car. It doesn't affect my life, but if I don't do it it causes me a lot of discomfort. The anxiety mounts and I go back to check. I do this with the burner on the oven as well.

[DallasCowboys3269]

This has a lot to do with responsibility and not wanting anything bad to happen to your home. There is probably guilt involved with why you're feeling this way. Have you ever tried to expose yourself to not checking or doing these too many times and just dealing with the anxious/stressful thoughts and emotions that come along? That's what I would suggest doing for now.