I'm kind of wondering if I have OCD because when I straighten my hair, I know that it's straightened when I'm done in 10 minutes, and it looks straight, but I still have to straighten it for another 30 or 35 minutes and after that I sometimes still have to keep straightening it until I'm perfectly satisfied. But when it gets a little bit wavy, I have to straighten it again. So. Do you think I have OCD?

Hi

Is the hair thing your only issue? Or do you have more "rituals" or obsessions?
If that's your only issue, I personally don't think you have OCD.
I think most people have small obsessions or compulsions. Like...I have a thing with the window in my room. I can't sleep if it's open, even if it's just a little open. I'll check and double check before I go to bed, just to make sure it's closed.
If I believe it's open, I'll have the image of the open window in my head and won't fall asleep. So in the end I'll get up and check.

I don't have OCD though, and I think most people have things like these that they do. It's when these things get out of control that I think a person should worry about maybe having OCD

Hi SarahBeth08. shappy

I agree with Harold. From what I've read, most people tend to have things they obsess about that seem to related to OCD.

OCD is when obsessions, paired with rituals, start getting in the way in your day to day life. The way my therapist described it, is if you never get away from the thoughts, and you're spending horrific amounts of time completing rituals to make the obsession go away, then it's a problem.

So, do you worry about your hair all the time? Even when you're doing something else?

Yes, I still worry about my hair even though I'm doing something else. If i think its got an sort of lump or bump in my hair then I'm forced to straighten it again or i think about it until i do it and if i dont think its straight enough then i have to do it over. I do it in 4 steps and if i mess up on one part i have to redo it all or i feel its not going to be straight.. Also, I do it with my bathroom towels. only my bathroom towels though. They all have to be folded perfectly and neat and they cant be out of order otherwise i have to do them all over again. if i mess up on one of them ive gotta restart all over otherwise i think It wont be good enough.

Sarah - let me ask you a question. How many hours a day do you think or mess with your hair? And you do say that it is on your mind all the time? Also - does it prevent you from doing other things in your life?

Sometimes - it could be a small quirk...but other times, it could be OCD. Remember what the first letter of OCD stands for- Obsessive. So if you are obsessing about your hair - then yes, you do have OCD.