Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and what we do

M

Medved

New member
I was watching a programme the other day about this, and it struck me how many of us could be classified as having this without even knowing about it. Many of us are hoarders but there is a point where maybe it gets out of control.

Dragonsreach raised the issue on some thread (how long do you spend on miniatures or something similar) that in many ways it can be borderline autism.

i have recently had to take a step back from painting as i have hurt my eyes and worn myself out with all the late evenings and extended concentration.

i was beginning to worry that i HAD to paint, or that i couldn\'t let myself slip.......or the dreaded this is for a competition..it must be flawless.

safe to say i am now taking a backset view to this hobby for the time being, but i wonder for others how i affects, or continues to affect them?
 
D

darkartminiatures

New member
Yep. I feel like i have to paint or convert something before i go to sleep.....does that count? The trouble is i could get more done if i left it until the morning rather than working to the morning. Do i need help? Now you have raised this topic i would have to say YES! HELP ME!.......got....to....get...back....to.my...painting :eek:
 
R

Ritual

New member
I think doctors, psychologists and, not least, journalists have a tendency to want to put diagnoses on just about everything that deviates even the slightest bit from the norm. I think this is a dangerous development that just makes people more anxious and worried.

In your case, Stuart, I don\'t think there\'s any reason for concern. I mean, you obviously reacted on the fact that you spent too much time painting and did something about it. Problem solved! If you were truly suffering from some sort of disorder you wouldn\'t have been able to deal with it on your own.
 
D

dauber22

New member
Originally posted by Ritual
I think doctors, psychologists and, not least, journalists have a tendency to want to put diagnoses on just about everything that deviates even the slightest bit from the norm. I think this is a dangerous development that just makes people more anxious and worried.
Click to expand...

Well said! And considering that the \"norm\" is pretty much fictional, we all deviate from it to a greater or lesser degree. First consider whether or not your behavior is having a negative impact on your day-to-day life. If it is maybe it needs to be modified. That\'s a matter of degree, too, though. How much of a negative impact is it having? A little? Meh [shrug] A lot? Then maybe it needs attention.

Just as an aside, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is what most mental health proffessionals use to diagnose people. I\'m pretty sure that until DSM-III (published in 1980) there wasn\'t even a well-defined category for NORMAL :eek: In other words, if you went to a shrink there was no way for you to be considered normal; you HAD to have something wrong with you.
 
S

sebrushworth

Guest
I have obsessive compulsive disorder (pretty mild now, it was much worse when I was in my teens). It\'s never affected my painting though.
 
J

johnboyjjb

Active member
My mother had/has OCD. Her problem is related to her germs spreading. Her panic about germs from her spreading to other people got so bad as to cause heart problems and a medically induced sleep was needed once to get her to calm down. Even worse is the cause of all of her suffering - low blood sugar.
 
E

Evil Dave

New member
My wife has a mild form of OCD.
But I can\'t complain she keeps the house clean.
When I want to drive her crazy I go to the cabinets and turn around all the tin cans so the labels are facing the back, it sends her in a tizzy.lol
 
F

finn17

New member
Ritual is quite right....

There appears to be an obsession with \'medicalising\' everything and giving people labels, particularly children.

For a long time now, I have viewed it thus: Many of these conditions can be thought of as a \'spectrum\' indeed ASD or Autistic Spectrum Disorder\' is a common label. What is often forgotten however, is that we all need many of the diagnostic traits in order to be \'normal\'. Let\'s say that on a range of 1 - 10 for ASD 5 is \'normal\'. People who rate higher can end up with all sorts of labels, Asperger\'s ASD, high-functioning autism, semantic-pragmatic disorder etc. But...the people who score significantly below 5 are also likely to have difficulties as well....

What I am trying to say...is that we all have aspects of these conditions which we need, they are positive qualities.
 
Dragonsreach

Dragonsreach

Super Moderator
Staff member
Originally posted by Medved
I was watching a programme the other day about this, and it struck me how many of us could be classified as having this without even knowing about it. Many of us are hoarders but there is a point where maybe it gets out of control.

Dragonsreach raised the issue on some thread (how long do you spend on miniatures or something similar) that in many ways it can be borderline autism.Did I? I Dont remember!\"

i have recently had to take a step back from painting as i have hurt my eyes and worn myself out with all the late evenings and extended concentration.
I\'m sorry to hear that Stuart. Please don\'t let it ruin your health.

i was beginning to worry that i HAD to paint, or that i couldn\'t let myself slip.......or the dreaded this is for a competition..it must be flawless.

safe to say i am now taking a backset view to this hobby for the time being, but i wonder for others how i affects, or continues to affect them?

I\'ve got to say that when a hobby like our starts to get to the point where it\'s no longer a pleasure that\'s the time to take a break.
Events over the last few months of 2005 and the beginning of this year have led me to realise that while I enjoy painting there are other things of far more value. Hence the fact that I\'ve been spending more time with my father.

I haven\'t stopped painting, far from it. But I have taken the time to enjoy other things.

Stuart, I\'d suggest that you apply a limit to the time you paint, rather than paint every night/day.
Click to expand...

Finn\'s right. There is too much \"easy attribution\" of labels on people, Young or old.


Oh and just for the record I have never classed myself as \"Normal\".
 
G

GreenOne

I paint my thumb.
I know nobody is going to label if your OCD concerns work and productivity... It\'s even encouraged!
There are more people that suffer from that than the housecleaning OCD...

If you really neglecting your sleep, health and hygiene for a long time because of minis, you might have a problem. Other than that, you\'re just passionate, and the \'normal\' people should actually be envious from that.
 
M

Medved

New member
@Dragonsreach: this thread


to be honest for me it wasn\'t the amount of time spent on painting the minis, it was the whole thing surrounding it (research, evaluting the idea, adding meaning).

when i was at art school this was a positive thing, because it drove me to really push myself on what i was creating, and i was around like minded individuals.....plus i was single.

a few times my wife had made the odd comment about it and i started to agree. It was the point when i was starting to get my entire work schedule planned out weeks ahead (because i knew the limits on how long i had to paint, and how much i had to do for other people).

i freely admit that it is not good for people to be given a diagnosis or label so freely, but i wanted to know if there were other such painters who were concerned that their hobby might be going a little too extreme or close to the edge.
 
F

finn17

New member
I think there are sensible guidelines...

If your career, relationships or health suffers...then you are taking your hobby too seriously. If those three things are all okay, then you can relax.
 
W

Wolf Fang

Member
i too can paint till my eyes go wild and arm and back get sore... and i continue to paint if im not yet satisfied!... i wouldnt say im OCD tho (atleast not yet lol) what about collecting the boxs? is that ocd? (ask nicely and il\'l post a pic of my little pile)
 
ipaintminis

ipaintminis

Active member
when I was younger I used to wash my hands till they bled, I wouldn\'t swallow my own spit and I was all around quirky about it, I never got diagnosed with OCD, but thats not to say no one ever thought about it :D


Grumbs family will tell you all about my little \"phobias and quirks\" stuff like I can\'t eat the last bit of food on my plate, cant eat the last bite of a hot dog, no problem with the first bite its the last one. stuff like that.....does that make me ocd?:D
 
N

Naukhel

Active member
My OCD is fairly mild, and resistable with a lot of effort.
I have a thing about even numbers.
And fair play. I get really bothered if I catch someone cheating.
Totally out of proportion to what\'s at stake in a game.
That\'s the one I have to control the most.
 
S

sebrushworth

Guest
When I read a book, I have to stop reading on a page number ending with 7. Weird!
At least I don\'t have to turn the light switch on and off 16 times any more!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back To Top
Top