Have you ever noticed that throughout the day you follow certain routines? I've been paying attention to a lot of different routines that I follow and I'm scared that my entire life is just turning into a routine.
In the morning, before class, I know that I have to set my alarm at LEAST thirty minutes before the time that I really need to get up because I'll snooze it until I can't snooze it anymore. My morning routine consists of snoozing my alarm until I can't, getting out of bed, taking my shower, getting ready, getting dressed, letting the dog out, then I leave. I have the same way that I drive to school every day, the same path that I follow to classes, and the same things I do once I get to class.
The scary part is this: Within these routines, I have smaller more exact routines, and within THOSE routines, I have microscopic routines. Now, maybe it's because I have obsessive compulsive disorder, or maybe it's because I have created these habits, but they basically control my life.
Here's an example:
Everytime I take a shower, I have to go through the same steps and if I dont do a step, I have to start over (That's the OCD in me!). First, I have to wet my hair all the way through and shampoo it. After I rinse the shampoo out, I wash my body. After washing my body (which has to be with body wash and a loofah or else I'm still dirty), I put conditioner in my hair and let it set while I wash my face. Now here's the tricky part... I wash my face with either acne wash of bar soap, and have to wash that soap off, along with the conditioner while trying not to let any conditioner run over my face. If too much conditioner touches my face, then I have to re-wash it.
Everytime I take a shower, I have to go through the same steps and if I dont do a step, I have to start over (That's the OCD in me!). First, I have to wet my hair all the way through and shampoo it. After I rinse the shampoo out, I wash my body. After washing my body (which has to be with body wash and a loofah or else I'm still dirty), I put conditioner in my hair and let it set while I wash my face. Now here's the tricky part... I wash my face with either acne wash of bar soap, and have to wash that soap off, along with the conditioner while trying not to let any conditioner run over my face. If too much conditioner touches my face, then I have to re-wash it.
I think that my obsession with routines is slightly ridiculous, but do you have any routines that you follow? Are you as crazy as I am? Or a little less exact?
Just an FYI and a tiny end note: According to the Mayo Clinic:
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by unreasonable thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead you to do repetitive behaviors (compulsions). With obsessive-compulsive disorder, you may realize that your obsessions aren't reasonable, and you may try to ignore them or stop them. But that only increases your distress and anxiety. Ultimately, you feel driven to perform compulsive acts in an effort to ease your stressful feelings.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder often centers around themes, such as a fear of getting contaminated by germs. To ease your contamination fears, you may compulsively wash your hands until they're sore and chapped. Despite your efforts, thoughts of obsessive-compulsive behavior keep coming back. This leads to more ritualistic behavior — and a vicious cycle that's characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
So how far do routines need to go before they turn into a disorder? I'd answer that- but that's a whole different subject.
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