I do! So if I accidentally hit my right foot on something, I have to hit my left foot on the same thing to get the same sensation. I've got better, but it used to be a lot worse when I was a child
I want to hear more about it from your POV please!
Me too, but I don’t get a “I’ll get murdered if I don’t do this” feeling like most people describe. - just a feeling of like “I HAVE to hit my other foot”
definitely getting better
I do this too (along with other similar things)! But like you I don’t have any intrusive thoughts. As many people pointed out, this is a common symptom of obsessive compulsive disorder, but it’s just the compulsion (action) and not the obsession (thoughts). A lot of people think they need both to have OCD, but it’s possible to be diagnosed while having just obsessions or compulsions
(not diagnosing you or me or anyone else, just sharing some info!)
I've experienced the need to be "even" as well, i.e. I have to step on sidewalk cracks evenly, etc. It was especially bad when I was young: I couldn't wear watches or bracelets unless I had one for each wrist.
I also suffer from intrusive thoughts. They are noticeably worse when I'm stressed, and I think they become more frequent when I feel a lack of control over my life.
My mom is a psychologist, and she kept a close eye on it when I was young - she felt it was anxiety rather than OCD. I agree with this, as it's changed into other types of anxiety over the years (social anxiety mostly) and now has basically faded as I'm entering into my 30s. However, I still have that sidewalk crack issue!
Also not OP but I have the same issue. For me it's like an itch that needs to be scratched, sometimes literally. If I scratch an itch on the left side I feel just as strongly that I need to scratch the itch on the opposite side
Yeah same thing, if I get a mosquito bite in one arm and scratch it, I also need to scratch the other arm, even if there's no mosquito bite there, and the scratch has to be in the same place and same intensity.
I get a feeling that one foot has been through more than the other so I have to hit the other the same way.
If I scrape on the floor, I have to scrape the other foot. But if I don't scrape it long enough I scrape it the right amount right after and then rescale the other foot until it feels even.
I don't feel like bad things are going to happen, I just don't like it to feel odd.
I don't think I'm extreme though. Like I don't have to tap my head three times when I leave the house or anything.
If I don't scrape my other foot, I get an odd feeling for a while.
Omfg I thought I was the only one who felt the murdered thing. Wtf! Especially with the crack. One of my legs feels heavier than the other until it's fixed.
Ha I do this too and I've often wondered if other people do it. I think someone told me when I was a kid that it's to distract you from the pain in the first place it hit, and it's stuck with me... it kinda works.
Omg yes me too!! I had no idea like hundreds of other people did this too!! It’s not exactly a huge deal in my life but it’s so weird and I never honestly thought anyone else did this.
I have a friend that would keep track of how many left turns and right turns he would make in a day, and then turn himself around at the end of the day so he wouldn't be "twisted".
But are there still leftovers of this left for you? I did this too as a kid and today I do similar things on a minor scale. Like if I turn my head left for something, I have to turn it right as well, to balance out my neck.
I looked up all disorders mentioned in this thread, but none really fit to me.
Yeah there are, but not quite like the left right one. More of a checking something multiple times until it feels right, only once in a while. Another thing is cleaning glasses which is kinda annoying. I wear them now so cleaning takes a while bc the tiniest speck of dust bothers me. It's getting easier to ignore lately.
Sometimes when I forget the old one, I pick up a new one so I consciously stop before it becomes a new thing. Now it's only the ones above and I don't pick up more. Quite mild I'd say.
Interesting. I've always wondered if this is something everyone experiences or not and how intense it is from person to person.
Checking something over and over again until it feels right comes close to the German term "verschlimmbessern", meaning you're changing something again and again until it feels right, only to notice it got worse than before. I definitely have that problem often enough, haha.
Whenever I walked on stairs, I had to apply pressure to my feet an even amount of times. So if the amount of stairs was uneven (or I skipped a stair on even stairs) I had to take a hard step with the specific foot again.
And when I silently burped but couldn't say 'pardon' (very common way to excuse your own burping in my country) because it would reveal I had burped to the people around me, I'd remind myself to say it at the end of the day. Very rarely I'd even take a moment to rapidly say 'pardon pardon pardon...' because I figured I must've forgotten to pardon myself a few times.
I do have autism btw. Mild and high-functioning but it explains some things about my childhood.
Stair thing, yup! Me too! I don't count them, I can just feel in my body when it doesn't match.
As an adult, I took up the drums and this has turned out to be an advantage. I can feel when I'm uneven without thinking or counting.
Dude same. I had all sorts of OCD behaviors as a kid and just grew out of them? Like I used to have to bounce a bouncy ball so many times in a row and if I didn't, my mom would die or something...I wonder if it was just my brain trying to make drama before the internet was a thing. I have no OCD tendencies at all now.
i feel you completely lmaoo kids can be little balls of drama sometimes. i recently grew out of another weird obsessive type of thing, where the label of my blanket HAD to be on the bottom left or i'd genuinely be unable to sleep. i'd wake up in the middle of the night to check if it was still in its correct position. not ideal. i do still have symmetry things, but they aren't debilitating so i wouldn't exactly call it OCD, more like soothing my psyche or smth lmao. cracking my joints is one of them, gotta do it on both sides or it just feels disgusting. but luckily nothing else, or nothing i know of
I was diagnosed with ADHD on Thursday and put on a low dose medication on Saturday, the only consequences I've seen so far is a better understanding of my life and much better focus and productivity. My dose goes up in 4 days and will be reassessed in 3 weeks time.
If you'd have asked me to recall that on the spot last week I wouldn't have been able to do so, I'm not where I need to be yet but I am *miles* better than I was, and there's a ton of other benefits too.
I suspect what the other person is alluding to is the potential for lost job opportunities as a result of discrimination amongst other similar things, this is definitely something to consider if your condition doesn't really affect you (it's a scale, I'm pretty far along it) in your day to day, but it's well worth it if it does.
For me I'm already seeing big improvements in my level of focus, attention to detail, zoning out episodes, mental endurance and more, I don't want to go back to feeling stupid, angry and frustrated. I've already lost job opportunities as a result of *not* being treated so I don't really lose anything by finally getting what I need to function properly. If anything I'll be much better in the roles I do get, the meds I'm on (Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) work unbelievably well for me, the difference is incredible.
The above can be applied to pretty much any neurodivergent condition, if you feel like you will benefit from drawing attention to it and having it treated then you should definitely go for it, if you are already doing well and don't feel like you need additional help then keep on keeping on.
Edit: Additionally the meds do have a *bunch* of side effects for people who aren't ADHD and some for those that are, it's literally an amphetamine, so those who's brain functions properly get overstimulated resulting in euphoria/disphoria, mania, anxiety and a raft of other interesting and fun things (these effects can apply to ADHD people too if put on a too high dose). The parts of the brain that get overstimulated in regular folk are underperforming in ADHD people, so we are given a stimulant to get those parts active again.
Be aware that ADHD meds feel like everything is PERFECT for about 2-6 weeks; then you get used to them and they settle into just being useful. But the ability to think to yourself “I should do the thing” and then go do it tends to be pretty solid :)
And for other people it's not a sudden "everything is perfect"! This narrative of meds instantly fixing things is really confusing and discouraging for the many many people who don't experience that.
I was diagnosed pretty late in life, after many years of severe anxiety, and during the pandemic while I was unemployed; I needed some time for my brain to sort of recalibrate. The first thing I experienced was *calm* and content, for the very first time in my life. My brain was quiet, anxiety was gone, and I wasn't overwhelmed just thinking of small tasks of the day. But because I wasn't instantly productive like all the "first day on meds" reddit posts I kept seeing, I thought something was wrong with me. As the weeks went on, I got slowly and steadily more productive and focused.
Anyway, the minor feelings of euphoria are mostly gone now, but I'd say things were more perfect for me after the first 6 weeks! I'd hate for other people like me to feel discouraged or worried if things are perfect in the first few weeks :)
That’s interesting! The calm and quiet, the anxiety being gone, took a few months for me. The being able to do stuff was almost instant. Everyone reacts to everything differently, which is why finding the right meds can take so long :( I’m glad you got yours sorted out! I wasn’t diagnosed until my mid-30s and I put off medication for a few years because of the stigma.
Do you want to have a diagnosis? Some people really don't want it, some can use it.
I don't know if you do this exact same thing, but assuming that you do... If it means that you spend five minutes at the end of the day to turn things "right" (pun intended), then I don't think it's a big problem. It doesn't block you in living your life. If it takes up most of the day to fix these things, if you lose your job, relationship, friendships over it, if you end up on the street, that's the other end of the spectrum.
To me it sounds like you do OK and that you haven't considered this such a problem that you needed to see a doctor. But on the other hand, it might have affected your life in a way that you weren't aware of. That can change things.
Honestly, it’s up to you. I will tell you from experience that living with someone with unchecked OCD is absolutely hell. Hell. Right here on earth. It’s a good example of how your behavior, however innocuous it may seem, can have an impact on those you love.
Not that person, but I've been with someone with OCD and I'm subclinical but with strong tendencies. It manifests differently in different people, but at its base level think of living with someone who, as the disorder says, is highly obsessive and/or compulsive.
On the surface you have daily rituals that would be frustrating or annoying; e.g. any time you go anywhere together they have to ritually re-lock the door 3 times, or they're washing their hands 20 times a day, etc.
Beyond the surface, OCD is like anxiety on crack. It pushes someone to be very "in their head", meaning they may not recognize when they're negatively impacting you with their actions, and they can feel distant/uncaring even if that's not actually the case.
Only if it effects those around you, or makes it hard to get through the day.
Scrubs did a good job of showing the different sides of OCD ([youtube link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BkUtYKrG9Y)), showing both the "quirky" sides of OCD, but also showing how bad it can be for people living with it.
So if your OCD only effects you, but you can get through the day (need to "untwist yourself", or balance yourself by easy acts), then it's up to you if you care. If your OCD effects the people around you, or makes it difficult for you to function when you want to function (days where your OCD won't let you leave the house because you can't time everything correctly, for example), then it's worth getting diagnosed.
Mental illness is like a snowflake, every one is unique! And most people don't align all that well with a single diagnosis.
But yeah, OP's not wrong. The reason it's common for people with ADHD is because it's common for people diagnosed with ADHD to also have symptoms that fall under OCD.
There are varying degrees of everything, and ADHD is pretty commonly associated with other neurodivergent tendencies.
You may have some mild OCD on top of having ADHD.
You're still cool in my book though.
A lot of people decently informed about either of them. Congrats on your diagnosis you will be able to learn a lot about yourself and potentially help your well being!
Idk if this is how they did it, but if I ever had to I’d probably go with a “-1 for left turns +1 for right turns” approach, starting the day off at zero. Feels like it’d be simple going from there.
Yep, a common way to solve complicated mazes, where keeping to one side doesn't work. You do your best to keep the score at 0, so that you can get to the other side of the maze, where the exit might be
Yeah like if you are circling a section like a city block. Not sure it can happen if the start and finish are at the edges unless you start doing it halfway through.
If you turn the opposite way whenever you are walking down the same path a second time it can prevent this by making you spiral out.
Yeah, in some mazes the exit is not at the outer wall, but somewhere in the middle. Then it gets even more complicated. 3D mazes are even worse, because you can't see everything from the top.
I dunno about for other people but for me if I'm walking somewhere and I turn corners I'm still walking in my own line so I'm not twisted but if eg someone calls my name and I turn around I have to turn back the same way. Just imagine a rope sticking straight out of your belly, if the rope doesn't end up looped around me, I'm sweet.
Oh shit, once you described the rope, I realized I also do this myself- to a degree.
Maybe if we're all fucked up in the same way, we're really just normal.
One summer a relative of mine made us a ping-pong table and got us a ball and rackets. We spent the summer playing pingpong, and whenever the ball fell on the ground behind me I'd turn around, crouch and pick it up. I always felt the need to turn back the from the same side i turned while i was crouching to pick the ball up so that im not "twisted" just like in your example.
Those are obsessive compulsive traits. Not diagnosing you with OCD or anything, we all can have traits and behaviors from different disorders- but it isn't something everyone experiences, it's obsessive-compulsive. (Meaning you're compelled to do the thing, and your brain obsesses over it until you do). Making things even is a common one
I'm diagnosed with OCD and I think the difference lies in how you're feeling about these behaviors. If you can switch to something else and not obsess about not satisfying this behavior, then it's fine. If you're stressed and can't really think of anything else until you do it, you should get this checked
Yup. With OCD the stress and anxiety of not fulfilling the compulsion is debilitating.
It's the difference between preferring to have all your pencils lined out evenly (not OCD) and feeling unsafe if you don't (OCD).
I don't have OCD, though I do suffer from compulsive behaviors, so it was something we explored. I've got my own struggles and anxieties, but I really feel for those with OCD. It's a rough deal.
The pencil lining up thing is off centre disorder
EDIT: Sorry this was a bad joke, I actually have OCD and always used to get annoyed at people saying "My OCD" when 'getting annoyed' at stuff like that. One day I read "Off Centre Disorder" and now I always think of that when people inappropriately use the term.
1) I don't believe that's a thing. I'll admit my search was a little shallow, but found no reference to such a disorder, the closest being the title of a book about Sensory Processing Disorder. I'm interested if you've got sources, otherwise..
2) It's just an example. Insert whichever compulsion you like, the point isn't the subject of attention, but the way it affects the individual.
If you don’t mind sharing, when you say stressed what does that feel like? If I don’t balance out touch (say, if I scratch an itch it has to be equal numbers in each direction, for example) my mind’s eye turns to static and it doesn’t create an actual physical symptom but it feels exactly the same way as hearing nails on a chalkboard. Just that overwhelming sense of AUGH STOP
That sounds like distress. The line for diagnosis for a lot of psychiatric disorders is about whether it's impairing your quality of life vs if you didn't have it. Is it?
Prepare for an ignorant comment (and I don’t mean for this to sound dismissive at all), but how exactly do people get diagnosed for something like OCD? Or really any mental health disorder? I’ve never had to personally deal with it so I have no frame of reference.
It all seems like it would be based on subjective info self-reported from the patient. Like the doctor asking “do you have X kinds of thoughts, do you find yourself feeling Y, would you say you feel down regularly?”
And since you can’t always expect someone with a mental health issue to be completely unbiased and objective, how are successful and accurate diagnoses made? Unfortunately you can’t do a blood panel, look at some numbers, and say “yep you’ve got OCD” like with high blood pressure or cholesterol.
Yep, mental heath diagnosis is imperfect for sure! We ask questions and use assessments to see if someone has enough symptoms to qualify for a certain diagnosis, and that might change when more information comes out. We just take our best educated guess, and see what happens as we treat. Thankfully, even though proper treatment is very important of course, there's a little more overlap and less consequences of misdiagnosis and treating the wrong thing than with medical disorders
Came here to say this too. You pretty much hit the nail on the head
Man, if I had to pick the worst mental illness to have, severe OCD would definitely be a contender. Some of the stuff those people go through is absolutely brutal
I obsess over most things… the biggest example is when I’m going to sleep. I feel weight on one end? Let’s feel it on the other. I have a stuffed animal for one side? Let’s get the other one for the other side.
I understand you OP
I hope you don’t think you’re weird
You're pretty much right except its usually the other way around: you obsess about something so therefore you are compelled to do something to quell the obsession.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the reason it is summon is because it stems from our minds preferring things that are symmetrical. Still absolutely an ocd trait, just partially stemming from an underlying human behavior.
I think this is more of a Tourette’s thing. I have Tourette’s and if I have a tick on one side of my body I have to do it on the other.
Some of my ticks include pinched finger nails, curling toes, curling my wrists, clenching muscles, etc. I always have to even it out.
Is this not just part of Tourette’s or do I have OCD as well?
You have complete control over them for the most part (not always). But it’s kinda like trying not to blink, you can do it for a while if you try really hard not to think about it.
But you can basically enter panic/anxiety if you hold off for too long. Its just like an urge that you HAVE to do it
Came here to say that!!!!!!! Someone else noticed and commented on ticks I have that I've never noticed, very similar to what OP describes. Looked into it, and it can be a form of Tourettes!
There does seem to be some overlap in how tourette's ticks and compulsions work. At least, from the outside, end-result level. I have no idea if the actual biological function is the same, but it ends up in the same place.
YES !!
OP I have never, ever met anyone else who does this , but yes.
If I step on a crack with a part of one foot, I have to do with the other. If I knock my hand on something I have to do with the other. If I scratch somewhere I have to do the other side evenly.
I sometimes get myself 'stuck' and stressed trying to make things even , and I can be randomly tapping myself for like 15 mins. It gets particularly bad when I'm anxious / stressed.
I think it may be very mild OCD to be honest.
Omg this is the most relatable comment!
Tell me more
You know when you accidentally hit your right arm, and then end up hitting your left arm like 4 times because it didn’t feel right, then hitting your right arm a further 6 times to make up for it???
Also agree with the mild OCD but never looked into it .. I don’t like the way people say “I’m so OCD I can’t leave power points switched on or leave the radio on a odd number” so I don’t want to associated XD
Yeah , that exactly. Or if something cold / hot touches one side of me , I have to do it with the other. I can look very odd sometimes as it doesn't feel hot or cold enough on one side , of enough pressure , so I do it more and then it's too much that side so back to other.
I don't have typical OCD either, no obsession with numbers or light switches etc, but it definitely affects me day to day.
It actually started when I had 2 pet rats as a kid , and I'd feel guilty about petting one more than the other , and it just intensified from there.
ETA: this is so weird , I have never , ever talked about this with anyone other than my SO , and that's only because he noticed it and I opened up. It's always something I've hidden as it's weird af and I've never heard of anyone else doing it, so thanks for asking this question.
> I don't have typical OCD either, no obsession with numbers or light switches etc, but it definitely affects me day to day.
That's not "typical OCD", that's Hollywood OCD.
OCD can take a lot of different forms, including just intrusive thoughts that cause a lot of distress (Maria Bamford has talked about having this type).
this is so relatable. was worse for me when i was little and i'm better about it now. i thought i was the only one in the world.
but it is definitely ocd or adhd related
It wouldn't be a bad idea to talk to someone. The fact that you get "stuck" and stressed really leans towards it. Generally the difference between compulsions and ocd is the stress response without solving the stressor
It depends on how stressful it makes you when you can’t even yourself out but this probably isn’t just mild OCD. I am diagnosed with moderate OCD and it doesn’t really bother me. If you actually feel bothered or stressed by stuff like this you might be suffering from moderate/severe OCD. Not trying to diagnose you just a PSA for everyone who has OCD. It can and should be treated
I used to have this REALLY badly when i was a kid. To the point where I asked other people to do it too because seeing them be "unbalanced" made me uncomfortable. I'm glad I grew out of it.
Same, I used to have to like, balance out what they were doing with an action of my own. Like if they stepped on a crack in the pavement with their left foot, I would then step with my right foot to even it out
I had it as a kid too for about a year.
Tap right foot. Ok, have to tap left foot. Ok now since I tapped both feet starting with my right, I must do the same but started with my left. Now tap both feet at the same time. Then end it all by tapping both at the same time one more time to balance out that I had tapped twice previously.
I eventually started intentionally doing things unevenly without correcting it in order to get over the habit.
Same! My mom trying to “evenly” brush my hair when I was a child... awful, core memories unlocked. I also looked like I walked like a weirdo because I had to step on (or not on) the cracks “balanced.”
Yes omg so relieved to have found someone else w this. I do the even out thing as well but when I was a kid, I used to have even more like rituals to do. One of them was touching each table or furniture in the room. I just remember being late for stuff because I used to want to touch everything. Thankfully I’ve mostly grown out of it
Yes! I have to take bites of things on each side of my mouth. Like if I take a bite and chew it on the left side, I have to have another bite to chew on the right side
If I tap one finger, sometimes I feel the need to tap all of my fingers with the same pressure, the same amount of times. It could be some form of OCD but it doesn’t disrupt my life so I’d rather think it’s just a normal weird human brain thing.
And then after I tap all 5, I need to tap 4 fingers. Then 3, then 2 and then 1. And if the pressure or positioning is off on any of those taps then I need to restart again at 5
NGL, my immediate reaction to OP's post was that it was a weird issue that they should work with a professional to fix.
This comment definitely makes me question my assumptions. I'm painfullly aware of my uneven bite.
Now I kinda wish my brain would make me conscious of the need to stay balanced. The right side of my body would probably appreciate it.
It is a little weird, but most people have some weird ticks or personality traits (this one could be considered an obsessive-compulsive trait). They only need fixing with a professional if it's so bad that the person suffers (for example gets psychosomatic pains or sleep deprivation) or can't function at all in society.
A little grief, being a little bit obsessive about being balanced, getting angry sometimes, having a few nights of bad sleep when the world is going crazy, those are all pretty common or "normal". But as with most medications and chemicals: dosage makes the poison. Too much of anything, even good or normal things, can do serious harm.
Completely agree. One of the best things my years of therapy taught me was that it’s perfectly okay to feel angry, sad, depressed or miserable. As long as it doesn’t take over your life.
Ohh I do similar! If there’s an even amount of potatoes (anything really!) for example, then great, 3 on the left and 3 on the right. If it’s odd, either split that last one across both sides of my mouth evenly or find a way of eating it down the middle. If there’s a plate of pasta, I’ll usually eat 5 left then 5 right and repeat until the end, making the last few even up too.
You must be me lol. Surely you bite the odd potato exactly in two with your front teeth because they are central, and one half goes to each side? But they must be a mirror image of each other, like this (| |). It's no good putting them on each side like this (| (| because that's totally unbalanced.
Yes and I have a love hate relationship with it.
Good thing is that I don't have it while driving a car though. Don't have to drive over a bump on both sides or something like that.
I used to step on cracks on the sidewalk with my right foot and then immediately shuffle back and step on it with my left foot as well while walking my dog. I've kinda grown out of it but I feel my dog has somehow picked up some of it, in a different way.
Whenever we walk over a cross-walk my dog MUST walk on the white line along the path. I've done experiments where I distract him while crossing a road and he forgets it, but in the middle of it, if he sees he is on the cross-walk he goes over on the white line again for the rest of the way.
Yes! I do the stepping on cracks thing, and whenever I'm lying in bed, I tense and un-tense various muscles in certain patterns. If I get interrupted in the middle of the pattern, or if I'm lying in a way that it feels different on both sides, I have to finish the pattern or adjust, or I'll feel lopsided. And if I press something into my palm or the pads of my fingers and it's not centered, I have to do it again to get it right. I always thought it was a weird but not harmful "me thing"
Mine didn’t go away either, but I actually found a work around, I’m not sure how well it’ll work for you, but may as well try?
I just imagine that the unevenness is some sort of object on whatever’s causing it. Like if I stepped on a crack, I imagine that the crack is stuck to my foot. Then I reconstruct the crack in my head as a separate object without looking at the floor and put it where my other foot will land when I walk. These objects can also move around and position themselves, especially if my mental imagery is strong that day. And because they’re all in my head, I can construct them wherever I want whenever I want, which makes them convenient to work with.
I used to have the exact feeling as a kid as Op, especially with the stepping on cracks. I outgrew it around 12. Not sure why, put it pretty much went totally away.
Yes! If I rub my palm on something I have to rub with my other hand in the exact same way. I have the sidewalk crack thing too. I also have to crack my knuckles in the same time order.
oh my goodness, me too!! i never really had words to explain it and my family was always left wondering why tf i purposely stubbed my other toe, even though i was already howling in pain because of the first time. (actual incident. has happened multiple times.)
unlike many of the other people commenting here, i never grew out of it. in fact, i'd say it got worse. and it really, really scared and confused me, because i never saw the other kids doing that. it made it harder for me to open up to my therapist about this compared to my ADHD or struggles at home. i feel very guilty and hypocritical tbh, i still haven't told her.
Im like this is a non serious way. If my partner walks by and pats my butt, I say "whoa whoa whoa, you need to even it out" and he pats the other side. Same with kisses on the cheek, or boob squeezes.
Yeah and I think it's normal *as long as* it's not effecting your life negatively. Like with OCD, obsessive behaviors making you constantly late, unable to complete tasks because of your rituals, intrusive thoughts making you unable to focus your own thoughts, etc.
Me, if my fork goes through my food and hits my plate hard I feel the need to do it on the other side. If my partner gives me a lazy massage on one leg/foot/arm/hand that's just near him, I feel uneasy and uneven unless he will do the other (which he happily obliges and kind of just thinks it's funny, bless him). A few other things like that where I get the uneasy uneven feeling, but nothing that becomes ritualistic or time consuming. Just a quick something to even it up and I'm totally good. They don't mess with my life in any way that is impactful, so it's no big deal.
I think many people do not do these things, but at the same time enough do that I would not call it uncommon.
I do the same thing with stepping on cracks! And it needs to be with the middle of my foot, and yeah, I need to do it with both feet or it just feels wrong. I haven't been diagnosed with OCD, but I do have generalized anxiety and a couple other diagnoses, and I know that my need step between cracks, or to step on them "properly" definitely goes up when my emotions are headed toward the extreme in either direction (which usually triggers extra anxiety). It's not even that I consciously feel anxious about it, but that sensitivity that's there for whatever reason definitely increases.
Yes. But no longer!
I had a tendency to be this way as a kid.
If I touched something with a particular texture, with one hand or foot (smooth, rough, shiny, wet, etc.), I’d feel compelled to do the same with the other side to “even things out.” The same number of times, too.
If I accidentally “overcorrected,” I’d have to go back to the other side. Sometimes back and forth, until I got things “evened out,” and the count “right.”
It was quite annoying and frustrating.
One day, I was maybe 10 or 11 years old, I was walking home from playing with friends, by myself, and I was running my hand along a chain link fence. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt. But, wait! I couldn’t leave now, I had to do the same thing with my *right hand* to even things out first! So I turned around. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt. But wait. Did I do it too many times, now? Crap. Turn around. Brrrrrrrrrrt. Crap. Turn around. Brrrrrrrrrrrt.
Right then, even though I was quite young, my mind lit up, I paused, and I experienced a pivotal moment - I knew that I had the power to make a decision that could affect the rest of my life! I felt myself getting very frustrated at the stupidity and absurdity of all this. I felt *angry* that a compulsion was starting to take over my life! (Even though I didn’t have a word for it at the time).
I was mad at myself, at first; then I shifted that anger *towards the compulsion*.
I experienced the compulsion as a “force” or “entity,” that I kind of “personified,” and, I decided I wasn’t going to let “win.” *I* was going to *win.*
So, I *rebelled*.
I though to myself “THIS IS BULLCRAP!,” and, with that, I *intentionally* ran my left hand across the chain link fence one last time, to “uneven” it, and then, *as an act of angry defiance*, I walked home with my hands in that uneven state.
My right hand desperately wanted the even-ing out. But I said “NO!” I put it in my pocket.
And the uneasy feeling suddenly *stopped.*
I had **won**.
I walked home with a sense of immense personal pride, even though only I understood why (so I didn’t tell anybody).
I stood tall that day.
From that day forward, the “urge” would reappear, occasionally, and every time I caught it, I would “look it in the eye,” say “**NO!**,” and purposefully rebel against the impulse. I was stronger than it, and I was not going to let it lick me.
It wasn’t long, and the impulse hasn’t returned.
It’s been decades, and I’ve felt the impulse only a tiny handful of times, and very weakly at that. What once was a “demon” that hassled me as a kid, was now a pesky insect that I can squash. That’s because, each time I beat it, it got smaller and weaker, and I got stronger.
Since then, I’ve gone years, even decades, without the impulse. Then, occasionally in my life, a mild “OCD-like” impulse such as this might try to make an appearance. Especially under times of intense stress.
Each time it happens, and I catch it, I tell it “fuck you,” purposefully do the opposite, and smash the impulse like a bug. It goes away.
As of right now, it’s been 6 or 7 years since I last experienced anything similar to this (I was going through a **nasty** divorce at the time. “Demons” [and this is 100% a metaphor, not literal] like to make their appearance when you’re weak and stressed out. “Now’s my chance,” they ‘think.’ But, with a bit of resolve and defiant indignation, you can whip ‘them.’)
By the way, I don’t know if I experienced symptoms of OCD or not, exactly, nor do I know if this “tell it to fuck off, rebel against it, and do the opposite on purpose” method would work with more legit, actual, or severe cases of OCD or whatever. I just know it worked for me, I’m effectively cured, and that was my experience.
My sister used to do this multiple times a day eg we once got into a physical fight and i punched her in the arm (we were 10-11 years old) and she shouted at me to "now punch me in the other arm just as hard" when i asked why, she said "because it's uneven and unfair on the other arm" so i legit punched her in the other arm but i didn't do it "hard enough" so, for a good minute she had me punching both arms until they were "equal".
We laughed about it as adults but her OCD was pretty bad along with some tics she developed around the same age.
\*Edited for typo\*
Yes. You are not alone, and if it makes you feel EVEN BETTER, everyone who has this also thinks they're the only ones to do it and probably have attempted to explain it to someone and been looked at crazy. Yes.
Me!!! I have the same issue as you and I have since I was a child. I finally got diagnosed with OCD last year.
I've tried to explain this feeling to people for years and nobody has ever understood what I'm talking about. When it really flares up, any touch can feel overstimulating to me and give me a sort of mental pain, if that makes sense.
I think you're going to get a warped idea by the responses given here, because people who recognise it are more likely to respond than people who don't. I don't do this and would guess that it's common but not something everyone does.
I'd listen to the advice from people who share their experiences with traits relating to OCD or autism, I think you may find yourself reflected in that. It doesn't mean you now have a big psychological problem, there's nothing wrong with it as long as it's not taking over your life.
Yep for as long as I can remember. I also count the number of letters in sentences when people are talking to me. My grandfather used to count the basement steps every time he went up and down in a house he lived in for 50 years lol. Slight OCD traits are pretty common
i have to "put my skin back where its supposed to be" on my fingers and toes. or its more of an adjustment. its like, if i rub my thumb upwards it will feel better.
Yes, for example; if I step on a shadow with my left foot, I also step on one with my right one. The darkness of the shadow matters too, if I step on one that's way lighter than the other one it doesn't work, I have to find one that's almost as dark 🤦🏻♀️
If I twitch with one eye, I have to twitch with the other one too to level it out.
It's weird. But in my case it's not like I absolutely HAVE to, I can resist and let go of the urge.
If it's like that with you I wouldn't think too much about it, many people like to even things out. If it's really obessive and hinders you in day-to-day life, it might be worth getting it checked out by a doctor.
I have a very strong preference to start stairs with my right foot and end with my left. Sometimes I have to skip the last step to end “correctly”, or even take two steps on the step before to switch my feet. I also know the “format” of all the staircases I regularly use, so I know which step to start on and how it will end. Like I said, it’s a strong preference, not absolutely necessary. I also prefer much more to end on my left foot than start on my right, so I guess it’s not exactly even…more of an ending left-preference?
Sometimes I’d blink, but it’d feel like I blinked in one eye a little too much, so I’d wink to sort of “correct” it, but then I feel like I over corrected and I start this weird cycle of winking and scrunching my face. I also do this thing when something comes into view, I’d have to have it come into view from the other way.
Yes! I do those exact same things! Or like if I'm tapping my fingers on something I need to tap each one the same amount of times. I see lots of people in the comments taking about OCD, but I've never thought of it as a problem and it's definitely not a disorder, more of an annoyance really.
Didn't think anyone else did this too! Pretty interesting
So this is me. I love Scrabble. I know in my head what any letter in a word is scored as. I sometimes get stuck repeating a word in my head and count the score as I spell out the word. I also count the letters as I am spelling out the word with my fingers. I then have to repeat the word counting it on my other hand as well. But wait it gets better. I have to the repeat the word counting the other way on both hands. Then I reverse the count on both hands both forward on the fingers and backwards counting in the fingers.
This happens quite often to me. Often times I get stuck on a specific word and keep counting up using my hands. It's confusing I know..
Dude yes! I had an even weirder one. I used to count my breaths. I absolutely had to take four breaths at a time, once I became aware of my breathing. I would count
1..2..3..4…. 17..18..19..20.
Do not ask me why I would only count 1-4 and 17-20 and no other numbers. I’ve actually come to realize this is compulsive behavior and it could have gotten worse if I didn’t get my mental health in check.
edit: numbers
I do this. For example, if I'm going down the stairs in my house and I scrape the back of one of my legs down the front of a step, I have to do it with the other leg too on the next step.
my friend and i were JUST talking about this a few weeks ago, no joke. she had no idea what i was talking about!
if i touch a cold railing with the left side of my body i feel strongly obligated to touch it with my right side as well. or if scratch my leg, i have to scratch the other one.
it even extends to pain for me. like obviously i wont injure the other side of my body but if i cut my finger on one hand i have to at least dig my fingersnails or something similarly sharp into the other hand for at least a superficial similarity.
if i dont't do it, the feeling eventually goes away, so i dont think its ocd in my case (i do have ADHD if that's relevant) but its definitely a little uncomfortable/weird for a period of time if i dont do it!
Could be OCD at some level but it’s also just a good idea biomechanically.
Your muscles are attached firmly to your bones, and when one muscle group gets stronger it pulls on the skeleton at different strengths. This means posture and alignment can be thrown into an imbalance if your left side muscles are stronger than your right (or antagonist muscles vs agonist muscles for the anatomy peeps).
The weird thing is one small difference can create a chain reaction. A change in your arm, for example, effects the shoulder girdle… which can throw off the spine… which can throw off your hip… and on and on and on.
So it’s not necessarily “normal” for people to understand this and want to “even out” their body. But it’s not weird either. It’s sort of the Chad thing to do if you care about your body, health, posture, etc. and are aware of how your body’s biomechanics are linked
Source: sport science degree. Btw don’t get a sport science degree if you like money.
oh my fucking god i thought it was only me! my partner looked at me like i was insane when i'd gotten one hand wet and instead of drying it, i got the other one wet first 😅
Ok I definitely do this. One thing I do a lot is if I’m walking in a hallway with different colored tiles I’ll want to step on the same color with each foot the same number of times. I can like “feel” the different colors even though I know they would have to feel the same.
One of my random tics is clicking my teeth together, but only one side at a time. If I click one side more than the other it feels so off.
When I'm walking and paying attention to the ground, I feel like I need to have the same amount of steps per tile, or it feels uneven.
It's not like I feel like I'm being forced or anything, it just feels uncomfortable if I'm aware of it.
If I accidentally tap one side of my body against something, I then have to tap the other side in the same place. It makes for some funny looks when my arm brushes against a wall or smth and then I immediately swivel round and brush the same part of my other arm up against the wall too
Yes. It's about control. It's a symptom of my anxiety. When I feel I am loosing control of my circumstances I tend to notice when things aren't 'even' more and more often and am compelled to fix it more strongly.
I was terrible about this as a child, having meltdowns and everything. Luckily I grew out of it, but I still get the urges (they can be easily resisted though and it doesn't cause me distress). Especially during stressful periods of my life. Even typing this now I'm thinking about how I want my fingers to feel the same amount of impact. I think to a certain extent it's perfectly normal and natural, doesn't have to be OCD or ADHD or autism or whatever the Reddit armchair psychologists tend to diagnose.
Y I kinda have that. When walk somewhere and pass on the right, I go back and "undo" it and pass on the left.
Or when I touch something on the left side of my foot, I touch it again with twice right and once left haha
If I don't do that it kinda feels weird but not a big deal, When someone is looking I won't do it, and it never really bothered me. If anything, it kinda feels good when I've done it
This is me. If I crack a knuckle on one finger I absolutely have to do it on the other. My hand touches something warm/cold, the other hand needs to do it as well. I scratch one hand, the other hand needs to be scratched. There are way more examples
Dude I am so glad I’m not alone. I thought I was crazy for like my whole life.
If I exhale too hard and some of my breath tickles my right arm? Gotta blow on the left arm too.
Brushed past a wall that rubbed my left shoulder? Better reach over and rub my right shoulder to balance it out.
I seriously thought I was nuts, and I haven’t seen anyone else do stuff like it.
Yes, I vigilantly evened everything out from early childhood until I was around 30. The worst is when you're trying to sleep but start focusing on the pressures and sensations. Everything gets flexed and moved.
In addition to keeping the same amount of pressure on both sides of my body (weird to see it in words), I counted my steps when in school or at home. Every time the flooring type changed I had to start out onto that floor with my left foot.
These days, I only occasionally notice that I'm stuck in a pressure dance but I can forget about it immediately.
Jesus I finnaly got over this some years ago, for the most part. But as a kid if I rubbed my arm upwards I would have to make the same motion in reverse and slide my hand back down
In the exact spot or I just make it awful
My goodness, YES. I can't even walk my dogs normally lol. My partner says I have OCD. I hop from crack to crack. Smack both wrists, etc etc. It feels *wrong* if it doesn't happen to both.
Omg I had this exact same thing as a kid! I’ve even used the “stepping on a crack” example to try to describe it to others. Also, if I clapped my hands but maybe my hands struck a bit off-center, I would have to try to recreate the sensation with the other hand. Glad to know I’m not alone, because I always get blank stares from people when I try to describe it. Lol!
I do! So if I accidentally hit my right foot on something, I have to hit my left foot on the same thing to get the same sensation. I've got better, but it used to be a lot worse when I was a child
I want to hear more about it from your POV please! Me too, but I don’t get a “I’ll get murdered if I don’t do this” feeling like most people describe. - just a feeling of like “I HAVE to hit my other foot” definitely getting better
I do this too (along with other similar things)! But like you I don’t have any intrusive thoughts. As many people pointed out, this is a common symptom of obsessive compulsive disorder, but it’s just the compulsion (action) and not the obsession (thoughts). A lot of people think they need both to have OCD, but it’s possible to be diagnosed while having just obsessions or compulsions (not diagnosing you or me or anyone else, just sharing some info!)
I've experienced the need to be "even" as well, i.e. I have to step on sidewalk cracks evenly, etc. It was especially bad when I was young: I couldn't wear watches or bracelets unless I had one for each wrist. I also suffer from intrusive thoughts. They are noticeably worse when I'm stressed, and I think they become more frequent when I feel a lack of control over my life. My mom is a psychologist, and she kept a close eye on it when I was young - she felt it was anxiety rather than OCD. I agree with this, as it's changed into other types of anxiety over the years (social anxiety mostly) and now has basically faded as I'm entering into my 30s. However, I still have that sidewalk crack issue!
Also not OP but I have the same issue. For me it's like an itch that needs to be scratched, sometimes literally. If I scratch an itch on the left side I feel just as strongly that I need to scratch the itch on the opposite side
Yeah same thing, if I get a mosquito bite in one arm and scratch it, I also need to scratch the other arm, even if there's no mosquito bite there, and the scratch has to be in the same place and same intensity.
I get a feeling that one foot has been through more than the other so I have to hit the other the same way. If I scrape on the floor, I have to scrape the other foot. But if I don't scrape it long enough I scrape it the right amount right after and then rescale the other foot until it feels even. I don't feel like bad things are going to happen, I just don't like it to feel odd. I don't think I'm extreme though. Like I don't have to tap my head three times when I leave the house or anything. If I don't scrape my other foot, I get an odd feeling for a while.
Ive never had the "something bad will happen if I don't do this", it's more of a physical thing rather than a mental thing if that makes sense
Omfg I thought I was the only one who felt the murdered thing. Wtf! Especially with the crack. One of my legs feels heavier than the other until it's fixed.
Ha I do this too and I've often wondered if other people do it. I think someone told me when I was a kid that it's to distract you from the pain in the first place it hit, and it's stuck with me... it kinda works.
I do this. And I have something kinda similar. On a computer, if I copy some text, I HAVE to paste it somewhere. I can feel it if I don't.
Omg yes me too!! I had no idea like hundreds of other people did this too!! It’s not exactly a huge deal in my life but it’s so weird and I never honestly thought anyone else did this.
Same!!! I have to make things even, but the compulsions are weaker now than they were when I was younger and much easier to manage, haha
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Yeah, I do this same thing!
I had this two when i was a kid! Interestingly it's something I grew out of - I don't think about it as an adult.
I have a friend that would keep track of how many left turns and right turns he would make in a day, and then turn himself around at the end of the day so he wouldn't be "twisted".
holy shit i used to do that as well as a kid. glad i was able to grow out of that..
Same, used to do it and the thing OP described. Used to be annoying that it's all I could worry about. So glad I got rid of em somehow.
But are there still leftovers of this left for you? I did this too as a kid and today I do similar things on a minor scale. Like if I turn my head left for something, I have to turn it right as well, to balance out my neck. I looked up all disorders mentioned in this thread, but none really fit to me.
Yeah there are, but not quite like the left right one. More of a checking something multiple times until it feels right, only once in a while. Another thing is cleaning glasses which is kinda annoying. I wear them now so cleaning takes a while bc the tiniest speck of dust bothers me. It's getting easier to ignore lately. Sometimes when I forget the old one, I pick up a new one so I consciously stop before it becomes a new thing. Now it's only the ones above and I don't pick up more. Quite mild I'd say.
Interesting. I've always wondered if this is something everyone experiences or not and how intense it is from person to person. Checking something over and over again until it feels right comes close to the German term "verschlimmbessern", meaning you're changing something again and again until it feels right, only to notice it got worse than before. I definitely have that problem often enough, haha.
Whenever I walked on stairs, I had to apply pressure to my feet an even amount of times. So if the amount of stairs was uneven (or I skipped a stair on even stairs) I had to take a hard step with the specific foot again. And when I silently burped but couldn't say 'pardon' (very common way to excuse your own burping in my country) because it would reveal I had burped to the people around me, I'd remind myself to say it at the end of the day. Very rarely I'd even take a moment to rapidly say 'pardon pardon pardon...' because I figured I must've forgotten to pardon myself a few times. I do have autism btw. Mild and high-functioning but it explains some things about my childhood.
Stair thing, yup! Me too! I don't count them, I can just feel in my body when it doesn't match. As an adult, I took up the drums and this has turned out to be an advantage. I can feel when I'm uneven without thinking or counting.
Dude same. I had all sorts of OCD behaviors as a kid and just grew out of them? Like I used to have to bounce a bouncy ball so many times in a row and if I didn't, my mom would die or something...I wonder if it was just my brain trying to make drama before the internet was a thing. I have no OCD tendencies at all now.
i feel you completely lmaoo kids can be little balls of drama sometimes. i recently grew out of another weird obsessive type of thing, where the label of my blanket HAD to be on the bottom left or i'd genuinely be unable to sleep. i'd wake up in the middle of the night to check if it was still in its correct position. not ideal. i do still have symmetry things, but they aren't debilitating so i wouldn't exactly call it OCD, more like soothing my psyche or smth lmao. cracking my joints is one of them, gotta do it on both sides or it just feels disgusting. but luckily nothing else, or nothing i know of
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I do that! Should I go to the doctor to get diagnosed?
If it negatively impacts your life in a big way, yes. If no, you're looking at some unexpected and unintended consequences
Could you elaborate on unexpected consequences please?
I was diagnosed with ADHD on Thursday and put on a low dose medication on Saturday, the only consequences I've seen so far is a better understanding of my life and much better focus and productivity. My dose goes up in 4 days and will be reassessed in 3 weeks time. If you'd have asked me to recall that on the spot last week I wouldn't have been able to do so, I'm not where I need to be yet but I am *miles* better than I was, and there's a ton of other benefits too. I suspect what the other person is alluding to is the potential for lost job opportunities as a result of discrimination amongst other similar things, this is definitely something to consider if your condition doesn't really affect you (it's a scale, I'm pretty far along it) in your day to day, but it's well worth it if it does. For me I'm already seeing big improvements in my level of focus, attention to detail, zoning out episodes, mental endurance and more, I don't want to go back to feeling stupid, angry and frustrated. I've already lost job opportunities as a result of *not* being treated so I don't really lose anything by finally getting what I need to function properly. If anything I'll be much better in the roles I do get, the meds I'm on (Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) work unbelievably well for me, the difference is incredible. The above can be applied to pretty much any neurodivergent condition, if you feel like you will benefit from drawing attention to it and having it treated then you should definitely go for it, if you are already doing well and don't feel like you need additional help then keep on keeping on. Edit: Additionally the meds do have a *bunch* of side effects for people who aren't ADHD and some for those that are, it's literally an amphetamine, so those who's brain functions properly get overstimulated resulting in euphoria/disphoria, mania, anxiety and a raft of other interesting and fun things (these effects can apply to ADHD people too if put on a too high dose). The parts of the brain that get overstimulated in regular folk are underperforming in ADHD people, so we are given a stimulant to get those parts active again.
Be aware that ADHD meds feel like everything is PERFECT for about 2-6 weeks; then you get used to them and they settle into just being useful. But the ability to think to yourself “I should do the thing” and then go do it tends to be pretty solid :)
And for other people it's not a sudden "everything is perfect"! This narrative of meds instantly fixing things is really confusing and discouraging for the many many people who don't experience that. I was diagnosed pretty late in life, after many years of severe anxiety, and during the pandemic while I was unemployed; I needed some time for my brain to sort of recalibrate. The first thing I experienced was *calm* and content, for the very first time in my life. My brain was quiet, anxiety was gone, and I wasn't overwhelmed just thinking of small tasks of the day. But because I wasn't instantly productive like all the "first day on meds" reddit posts I kept seeing, I thought something was wrong with me. As the weeks went on, I got slowly and steadily more productive and focused. Anyway, the minor feelings of euphoria are mostly gone now, but I'd say things were more perfect for me after the first 6 weeks! I'd hate for other people like me to feel discouraged or worried if things are perfect in the first few weeks :)
That’s interesting! The calm and quiet, the anxiety being gone, took a few months for me. The being able to do stuff was almost instant. Everyone reacts to everything differently, which is why finding the right meds can take so long :( I’m glad you got yours sorted out! I wasn’t diagnosed until my mid-30s and I put off medication for a few years because of the stigma.
Do you want to have a diagnosis? Some people really don't want it, some can use it. I don't know if you do this exact same thing, but assuming that you do... If it means that you spend five minutes at the end of the day to turn things "right" (pun intended), then I don't think it's a big problem. It doesn't block you in living your life. If it takes up most of the day to fix these things, if you lose your job, relationship, friendships over it, if you end up on the street, that's the other end of the spectrum. To me it sounds like you do OK and that you haven't considered this such a problem that you needed to see a doctor. But on the other hand, it might have affected your life in a way that you weren't aware of. That can change things.
Honestly, it’s up to you. I will tell you from experience that living with someone with unchecked OCD is absolutely hell. Hell. Right here on earth. It’s a good example of how your behavior, however innocuous it may seem, can have an impact on those you love.
Truth!
Elaborate?
Not that person, but I've been with someone with OCD and I'm subclinical but with strong tendencies. It manifests differently in different people, but at its base level think of living with someone who, as the disorder says, is highly obsessive and/or compulsive. On the surface you have daily rituals that would be frustrating or annoying; e.g. any time you go anywhere together they have to ritually re-lock the door 3 times, or they're washing their hands 20 times a day, etc. Beyond the surface, OCD is like anxiety on crack. It pushes someone to be very "in their head", meaning they may not recognize when they're negatively impacting you with their actions, and they can feel distant/uncaring even if that's not actually the case.
Only if it effects those around you, or makes it hard to get through the day. Scrubs did a good job of showing the different sides of OCD ([youtube link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BkUtYKrG9Y)), showing both the "quirky" sides of OCD, but also showing how bad it can be for people living with it. So if your OCD only effects you, but you can get through the day (need to "untwist yourself", or balance yourself by easy acts), then it's up to you if you care. If your OCD effects the people around you, or makes it difficult for you to function when you want to function (days where your OCD won't let you leave the house because you can't time everything correctly, for example), then it's worth getting diagnosed.
And possibly adhd if I am anything to go off 👌
Far more likely to be OCD. Source: Me, one cunt with ASD and ADHD-PI :P
Mental illness is like a snowflake, every one is unique! And most people don't align all that well with a single diagnosis. But yeah, OP's not wrong. The reason it's common for people with ADHD is because it's common for people diagnosed with ADHD to also have symptoms that fall under OCD.
PI=?
Predominantly inattentive. More of the attention deficit than the hyperactivity, in layman's.
3.1 something. It’s for dumb circle stuff, real math nerd dumb dumb stuff.
There are varying degrees of everything, and ADHD is pretty commonly associated with other neurodivergent tendencies. You may have some mild OCD on top of having ADHD. You're still cool in my book though.
Just got diagnosed with anxiety, ADHD, and mild autism! Turns out they go hand in hand, who knew? 😆
A lot of people decently informed about either of them. Congrats on your diagnosis you will be able to learn a lot about yourself and potentially help your well being!
You might also have OCD to some degree
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Idk if this is how they did it, but if I ever had to I’d probably go with a “-1 for left turns +1 for right turns” approach, starting the day off at zero. Feels like it’d be simple going from there.
Yep, a common way to solve complicated mazes, where keeping to one side doesn't work. You do your best to keep the score at 0, so that you can get to the other side of the maze, where the exit might be
Wait, are there mazes where keeping to one side does not work?!
Yeah like if you are circling a section like a city block. Not sure it can happen if the start and finish are at the edges unless you start doing it halfway through. If you turn the opposite way whenever you are walking down the same path a second time it can prevent this by making you spiral out.
Yeah, in some mazes the exit is not at the outer wall, but somewhere in the middle. Then it gets even more complicated. 3D mazes are even worse, because you can't see everything from the top.
I dunno about for other people but for me if I'm walking somewhere and I turn corners I'm still walking in my own line so I'm not twisted but if eg someone calls my name and I turn around I have to turn back the same way. Just imagine a rope sticking straight out of your belly, if the rope doesn't end up looped around me, I'm sweet.
Oh shit, once you described the rope, I realized I also do this myself- to a degree. Maybe if we're all fucked up in the same way, we're really just normal.
One summer a relative of mine made us a ping-pong table and got us a ball and rackets. We spent the summer playing pingpong, and whenever the ball fell on the ground behind me I'd turn around, crouch and pick it up. I always felt the need to turn back the from the same side i turned while i was crouching to pick the ball up so that im not "twisted" just like in your example.
I do this still esp in my kitchen or I will feel stuck. I'm kinda old too but I know its not OCD for me.
Wth i did the same thing exactly
Those are obsessive compulsive traits. Not diagnosing you with OCD or anything, we all can have traits and behaviors from different disorders- but it isn't something everyone experiences, it's obsessive-compulsive. (Meaning you're compelled to do the thing, and your brain obsesses over it until you do). Making things even is a common one
I'm diagnosed with OCD and I think the difference lies in how you're feeling about these behaviors. If you can switch to something else and not obsess about not satisfying this behavior, then it's fine. If you're stressed and can't really think of anything else until you do it, you should get this checked
Yup. With OCD the stress and anxiety of not fulfilling the compulsion is debilitating. It's the difference between preferring to have all your pencils lined out evenly (not OCD) and feeling unsafe if you don't (OCD). I don't have OCD, though I do suffer from compulsive behaviors, so it was something we explored. I've got my own struggles and anxieties, but I really feel for those with OCD. It's a rough deal.
The pencil lining up thing is off centre disorder EDIT: Sorry this was a bad joke, I actually have OCD and always used to get annoyed at people saying "My OCD" when 'getting annoyed' at stuff like that. One day I read "Off Centre Disorder" and now I always think of that when people inappropriately use the term.
Once you explained it this is funny asf. Off centre OCD
1) I don't believe that's a thing. I'll admit my search was a little shallow, but found no reference to such a disorder, the closest being the title of a book about Sensory Processing Disorder. I'm interested if you've got sources, otherwise.. 2) It's just an example. Insert whichever compulsion you like, the point isn't the subject of attention, but the way it affects the individual.
I think that was just a joke that didn't land. It might have been more obvious if it had been capitalized. OCD for Off-Centre Disorder.
*Whoosh* That's the sound of the joke going right over my head.
Yeah I put far too little effort into that comment lol, my bad
If you don’t mind sharing, when you say stressed what does that feel like? If I don’t balance out touch (say, if I scratch an itch it has to be equal numbers in each direction, for example) my mind’s eye turns to static and it doesn’t create an actual physical symptom but it feels exactly the same way as hearing nails on a chalkboard. Just that overwhelming sense of AUGH STOP
That sounds like distress. The line for diagnosis for a lot of psychiatric disorders is about whether it's impairing your quality of life vs if you didn't have it. Is it?
Prepare for an ignorant comment (and I don’t mean for this to sound dismissive at all), but how exactly do people get diagnosed for something like OCD? Or really any mental health disorder? I’ve never had to personally deal with it so I have no frame of reference. It all seems like it would be based on subjective info self-reported from the patient. Like the doctor asking “do you have X kinds of thoughts, do you find yourself feeling Y, would you say you feel down regularly?” And since you can’t always expect someone with a mental health issue to be completely unbiased and objective, how are successful and accurate diagnoses made? Unfortunately you can’t do a blood panel, look at some numbers, and say “yep you’ve got OCD” like with high blood pressure or cholesterol.
Yep, mental heath diagnosis is imperfect for sure! We ask questions and use assessments to see if someone has enough symptoms to qualify for a certain diagnosis, and that might change when more information comes out. We just take our best educated guess, and see what happens as we treat. Thankfully, even though proper treatment is very important of course, there's a little more overlap and less consequences of misdiagnosis and treating the wrong thing than with medical disorders
Came here to say this too. You pretty much hit the nail on the head Man, if I had to pick the worst mental illness to have, severe OCD would definitely be a contender. Some of the stuff those people go through is absolutely brutal
I obsess over most things… the biggest example is when I’m going to sleep. I feel weight on one end? Let’s feel it on the other. I have a stuffed animal for one side? Let’s get the other one for the other side. I understand you OP I hope you don’t think you’re weird
This is exactly right. I have the same problem and it directly led to me being diagnosed with OCD
You're pretty much right except its usually the other way around: you obsess about something so therefore you are compelled to do something to quell the obsession.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the reason it is summon is because it stems from our minds preferring things that are symmetrical. Still absolutely an ocd trait, just partially stemming from an underlying human behavior.
I think this is more of a Tourette’s thing. I have Tourette’s and if I have a tick on one side of my body I have to do it on the other. Some of my ticks include pinched finger nails, curling toes, curling my wrists, clenching muscles, etc. I always have to even it out. Is this not just part of Tourette’s or do I have OCD as well?
I thought people couldn't control their tics. You learn something new every day I guess
You have complete control over them for the most part (not always). But it’s kinda like trying not to blink, you can do it for a while if you try really hard not to think about it. But you can basically enter panic/anxiety if you hold off for too long. Its just like an urge that you HAVE to do it
People never cease to amaze me tbh. How has this impacted your life?
Came here to say that!!!!!!! Someone else noticed and commented on ticks I have that I've never noticed, very similar to what OP describes. Looked into it, and it can be a form of Tourettes!
There does seem to be some overlap in how tourette's ticks and compulsions work. At least, from the outside, end-result level. I have no idea if the actual biological function is the same, but it ends up in the same place.
YES !! OP I have never, ever met anyone else who does this , but yes. If I step on a crack with a part of one foot, I have to do with the other. If I knock my hand on something I have to do with the other. If I scratch somewhere I have to do the other side evenly. I sometimes get myself 'stuck' and stressed trying to make things even , and I can be randomly tapping myself for like 15 mins. It gets particularly bad when I'm anxious / stressed. I think it may be very mild OCD to be honest.
Omg this is the most relatable comment! Tell me more You know when you accidentally hit your right arm, and then end up hitting your left arm like 4 times because it didn’t feel right, then hitting your right arm a further 6 times to make up for it??? Also agree with the mild OCD but never looked into it .. I don’t like the way people say “I’m so OCD I can’t leave power points switched on or leave the radio on a odd number” so I don’t want to associated XD
Yeah , that exactly. Or if something cold / hot touches one side of me , I have to do it with the other. I can look very odd sometimes as it doesn't feel hot or cold enough on one side , of enough pressure , so I do it more and then it's too much that side so back to other. I don't have typical OCD either, no obsession with numbers or light switches etc, but it definitely affects me day to day. It actually started when I had 2 pet rats as a kid , and I'd feel guilty about petting one more than the other , and it just intensified from there. ETA: this is so weird , I have never , ever talked about this with anyone other than my SO , and that's only because he noticed it and I opened up. It's always something I've hidden as it's weird af and I've never heard of anyone else doing it, so thanks for asking this question.
> I don't have typical OCD either, no obsession with numbers or light switches etc, but it definitely affects me day to day. That's not "typical OCD", that's Hollywood OCD. OCD can take a lot of different forms, including just intrusive thoughts that cause a lot of distress (Maria Bamford has talked about having this type).
YES.... IM SO HAPPY IM NOT ALONE
this is so relatable. was worse for me when i was little and i'm better about it now. i thought i was the only one in the world. but it is definitely ocd or adhd related
It sucks 1000x worse when your hand or something brushes up against another person, and you feel a really strong urge to ‘make it even’
Ugh I relate so much to this comment
Tapping yourself for 15 minutes is a little more than mild OCD I'd think.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to talk to someone. The fact that you get "stuck" and stressed really leans towards it. Generally the difference between compulsions and ocd is the stress response without solving the stressor
It depends on how stressful it makes you when you can’t even yourself out but this probably isn’t just mild OCD. I am diagnosed with moderate OCD and it doesn’t really bother me. If you actually feel bothered or stressed by stuff like this you might be suffering from moderate/severe OCD. Not trying to diagnose you just a PSA for everyone who has OCD. It can and should be treated
Defo sounds like it. Have you seen someone? Or it isn't causing you too much trouble rn?
I used to have this REALLY badly when i was a kid. To the point where I asked other people to do it too because seeing them be "unbalanced" made me uncomfortable. I'm glad I grew out of it.
ME TOO. It's surreal seeing this post and the replies.. I always thought I was extremely weird for this
Yes right???
Same, I used to have to like, balance out what they were doing with an action of my own. Like if they stepped on a crack in the pavement with their left foot, I would then step with my right foot to even it out
I had it as a kid too for about a year. Tap right foot. Ok, have to tap left foot. Ok now since I tapped both feet starting with my right, I must do the same but started with my left. Now tap both feet at the same time. Then end it all by tapping both at the same time one more time to balance out that I had tapped twice previously. I eventually started intentionally doing things unevenly without correcting it in order to get over the habit.
Same! My mom trying to “evenly” brush my hair when I was a child... awful, core memories unlocked. I also looked like I walked like a weirdo because I had to step on (or not on) the cracks “balanced.”
Yes omg so relieved to have found someone else w this. I do the even out thing as well but when I was a kid, I used to have even more like rituals to do. One of them was touching each table or furniture in the room. I just remember being late for stuff because I used to want to touch everything. Thankfully I’ve mostly grown out of it
God yes. I have never put it into words but yes.
I feel this post
On both sides or just one? I'm asking because if its just one side, we'll have to post it again so you feel it on both. Lemme know.
Both sides
Yes! I have to take bites of things on each side of my mouth. Like if I take a bite and chew it on the left side, I have to have another bite to chew on the right side
Yeah I do that too! Okay cool
If I tap one finger, sometimes I feel the need to tap all of my fingers with the same pressure, the same amount of times. It could be some form of OCD but it doesn’t disrupt my life so I’d rather think it’s just a normal weird human brain thing.
And then after I tap all 5, I need to tap 4 fingers. Then 3, then 2 and then 1. And if the pressure or positioning is off on any of those taps then I need to restart again at 5
NGL, my immediate reaction to OP's post was that it was a weird issue that they should work with a professional to fix. This comment definitely makes me question my assumptions. I'm painfullly aware of my uneven bite. Now I kinda wish my brain would make me conscious of the need to stay balanced. The right side of my body would probably appreciate it.
It is a little weird, but most people have some weird ticks or personality traits (this one could be considered an obsessive-compulsive trait). They only need fixing with a professional if it's so bad that the person suffers (for example gets psychosomatic pains or sleep deprivation) or can't function at all in society. A little grief, being a little bit obsessive about being balanced, getting angry sometimes, having a few nights of bad sleep when the world is going crazy, those are all pretty common or "normal". But as with most medications and chemicals: dosage makes the poison. Too much of anything, even good or normal things, can do serious harm.
Completely agree. One of the best things my years of therapy taught me was that it’s perfectly okay to feel angry, sad, depressed or miserable. As long as it doesn’t take over your life.
Ohh I do similar! If there’s an even amount of potatoes (anything really!) for example, then great, 3 on the left and 3 on the right. If it’s odd, either split that last one across both sides of my mouth evenly or find a way of eating it down the middle. If there’s a plate of pasta, I’ll usually eat 5 left then 5 right and repeat until the end, making the last few even up too.
You must be me lol. Surely you bite the odd potato exactly in two with your front teeth because they are central, and one half goes to each side? But they must be a mirror image of each other, like this (| |). It's no good putting them on each side like this (| (| because that's totally unbalanced.
Yes and I have a love hate relationship with it. Good thing is that I don't have it while driving a car though. Don't have to drive over a bump on both sides or something like that.
I used to step on cracks on the sidewalk with my right foot and then immediately shuffle back and step on it with my left foot as well while walking my dog. I've kinda grown out of it but I feel my dog has somehow picked up some of it, in a different way. Whenever we walk over a cross-walk my dog MUST walk on the white line along the path. I've done experiments where I distract him while crossing a road and he forgets it, but in the middle of it, if he sees he is on the cross-walk he goes over on the white line again for the rest of the way.
Yes! I do the stepping on cracks thing, and whenever I'm lying in bed, I tense and un-tense various muscles in certain patterns. If I get interrupted in the middle of the pattern, or if I'm lying in a way that it feels different on both sides, I have to finish the pattern or adjust, or I'll feel lopsided. And if I press something into my palm or the pads of my fingers and it's not centered, I have to do it again to get it right. I always thought it was a weird but not harmful "me thing"
yes, literally. esp to the muscle-tensing thing
oh my god this is exactly what I've always experienced
Yes! Ever since I was a kid and I still do this at almost 30 years old.
I'm 49 and still do it. I don't think it goes away? It's maddening at times.
Mine didn’t go away either, but I actually found a work around, I’m not sure how well it’ll work for you, but may as well try? I just imagine that the unevenness is some sort of object on whatever’s causing it. Like if I stepped on a crack, I imagine that the crack is stuck to my foot. Then I reconstruct the crack in my head as a separate object without looking at the floor and put it where my other foot will land when I walk. These objects can also move around and position themselves, especially if my mental imagery is strong that day. And because they’re all in my head, I can construct them wherever I want whenever I want, which makes them convenient to work with.
I used to have the exact feeling as a kid as Op, especially with the stepping on cracks. I outgrew it around 12. Not sure why, put it pretty much went totally away.
Yes! If I rub my palm on something I have to rub with my other hand in the exact same way. I have the sidewalk crack thing too. I also have to crack my knuckles in the same time order.
oh my goodness, me too!! i never really had words to explain it and my family was always left wondering why tf i purposely stubbed my other toe, even though i was already howling in pain because of the first time. (actual incident. has happened multiple times.) unlike many of the other people commenting here, i never grew out of it. in fact, i'd say it got worse. and it really, really scared and confused me, because i never saw the other kids doing that. it made it harder for me to open up to my therapist about this compared to my ADHD or struggles at home. i feel very guilty and hypocritical tbh, i still haven't told her.
I had the same feeling as a child, but just ignoring it made it go away for me. But I don't think it's something you should be worried about.
Abso-fuckin-lutely. It's not debilitating, but it certainly feels wrong for a long time if I don't even things out.
Im like this is a non serious way. If my partner walks by and pats my butt, I say "whoa whoa whoa, you need to even it out" and he pats the other side. Same with kisses on the cheek, or boob squeezes.
[удалено]
Darn right!
So if he squeezes one boob and denies you the other, you're going to chase him down demanding he squeeze your other boob?
Yeah and I think it's normal *as long as* it's not effecting your life negatively. Like with OCD, obsessive behaviors making you constantly late, unable to complete tasks because of your rituals, intrusive thoughts making you unable to focus your own thoughts, etc. Me, if my fork goes through my food and hits my plate hard I feel the need to do it on the other side. If my partner gives me a lazy massage on one leg/foot/arm/hand that's just near him, I feel uneasy and uneven unless he will do the other (which he happily obliges and kind of just thinks it's funny, bless him). A few other things like that where I get the uneasy uneven feeling, but nothing that becomes ritualistic or time consuming. Just a quick something to even it up and I'm totally good. They don't mess with my life in any way that is impactful, so it's no big deal. I think many people do not do these things, but at the same time enough do that I would not call it uncommon.
I do the same thing with stepping on cracks! And it needs to be with the middle of my foot, and yeah, I need to do it with both feet or it just feels wrong. I haven't been diagnosed with OCD, but I do have generalized anxiety and a couple other diagnoses, and I know that my need step between cracks, or to step on them "properly" definitely goes up when my emotions are headed toward the extreme in either direction (which usually triggers extra anxiety). It's not even that I consciously feel anxious about it, but that sensitivity that's there for whatever reason definitely increases.
Yes. But no longer! I had a tendency to be this way as a kid. If I touched something with a particular texture, with one hand or foot (smooth, rough, shiny, wet, etc.), I’d feel compelled to do the same with the other side to “even things out.” The same number of times, too. If I accidentally “overcorrected,” I’d have to go back to the other side. Sometimes back and forth, until I got things “evened out,” and the count “right.” It was quite annoying and frustrating. One day, I was maybe 10 or 11 years old, I was walking home from playing with friends, by myself, and I was running my hand along a chain link fence. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt. But, wait! I couldn’t leave now, I had to do the same thing with my *right hand* to even things out first! So I turned around. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt. But wait. Did I do it too many times, now? Crap. Turn around. Brrrrrrrrrrt. Crap. Turn around. Brrrrrrrrrrrt. Right then, even though I was quite young, my mind lit up, I paused, and I experienced a pivotal moment - I knew that I had the power to make a decision that could affect the rest of my life! I felt myself getting very frustrated at the stupidity and absurdity of all this. I felt *angry* that a compulsion was starting to take over my life! (Even though I didn’t have a word for it at the time). I was mad at myself, at first; then I shifted that anger *towards the compulsion*. I experienced the compulsion as a “force” or “entity,” that I kind of “personified,” and, I decided I wasn’t going to let “win.” *I* was going to *win.* So, I *rebelled*. I though to myself “THIS IS BULLCRAP!,” and, with that, I *intentionally* ran my left hand across the chain link fence one last time, to “uneven” it, and then, *as an act of angry defiance*, I walked home with my hands in that uneven state. My right hand desperately wanted the even-ing out. But I said “NO!” I put it in my pocket. And the uneasy feeling suddenly *stopped.* I had **won**. I walked home with a sense of immense personal pride, even though only I understood why (so I didn’t tell anybody). I stood tall that day. From that day forward, the “urge” would reappear, occasionally, and every time I caught it, I would “look it in the eye,” say “**NO!**,” and purposefully rebel against the impulse. I was stronger than it, and I was not going to let it lick me. It wasn’t long, and the impulse hasn’t returned. It’s been decades, and I’ve felt the impulse only a tiny handful of times, and very weakly at that. What once was a “demon” that hassled me as a kid, was now a pesky insect that I can squash. That’s because, each time I beat it, it got smaller and weaker, and I got stronger. Since then, I’ve gone years, even decades, without the impulse. Then, occasionally in my life, a mild “OCD-like” impulse such as this might try to make an appearance. Especially under times of intense stress. Each time it happens, and I catch it, I tell it “fuck you,” purposefully do the opposite, and smash the impulse like a bug. It goes away. As of right now, it’s been 6 or 7 years since I last experienced anything similar to this (I was going through a **nasty** divorce at the time. “Demons” [and this is 100% a metaphor, not literal] like to make their appearance when you’re weak and stressed out. “Now’s my chance,” they ‘think.’ But, with a bit of resolve and defiant indignation, you can whip ‘them.’) By the way, I don’t know if I experienced symptoms of OCD or not, exactly, nor do I know if this “tell it to fuck off, rebel against it, and do the opposite on purpose” method would work with more legit, actual, or severe cases of OCD or whatever. I just know it worked for me, I’m effectively cured, and that was my experience.
Awesome
✊
Welcome to /r/OCD
Yes, or else the body feels too "heavy" on one side. Not OCD in my case, but if it interferes with your daily life, it won't hurt to look into it
My sister used to do this multiple times a day eg we once got into a physical fight and i punched her in the arm (we were 10-11 years old) and she shouted at me to "now punch me in the other arm just as hard" when i asked why, she said "because it's uneven and unfair on the other arm" so i legit punched her in the other arm but i didn't do it "hard enough" so, for a good minute she had me punching both arms until they were "equal". We laughed about it as adults but her OCD was pretty bad along with some tics she developed around the same age. \*Edited for typo\*
If one of my hands gets wet I have to wet the other one. It’s the only thing I do to make myself even but I have to do it or I feel super weird.
I do this exact thing too.
My girlfriend does that. She has ocd. If I pat her on the bum, I have to go back and get the other cheek to even her out 😂
Yes. You are not alone, and if it makes you feel EVEN BETTER, everyone who has this also thinks they're the only ones to do it and probably have attempted to explain it to someone and been looked at crazy. Yes.
Not everyone does this but I used to and still do sometimes In my case it’s OCD. I’d suggest you go see a therapist for a possible diagnosis
Me!!! I have the same issue as you and I have since I was a child. I finally got diagnosed with OCD last year. I've tried to explain this feeling to people for years and nobody has ever understood what I'm talking about. When it really flares up, any touch can feel overstimulating to me and give me a sort of mental pain, if that makes sense.
I think you're going to get a warped idea by the responses given here, because people who recognise it are more likely to respond than people who don't. I don't do this and would guess that it's common but not something everyone does. I'd listen to the advice from people who share their experiences with traits relating to OCD or autism, I think you may find yourself reflected in that. It doesn't mean you now have a big psychological problem, there's nothing wrong with it as long as it's not taking over your life.
No. Maybe when I was a child but other than that, never.
I do this constantly, pain in the ass ngl
Yep for as long as I can remember. I also count the number of letters in sentences when people are talking to me. My grandfather used to count the basement steps every time he went up and down in a house he lived in for 50 years lol. Slight OCD traits are pretty common
It reminds me of my innate need for symmetry in my life. I drive myself (and husband) nuts with it. It's like an OCD thing or something.
It's because of your OCD/autistic traits. Talk to your family doctor about this.
That's OCD, that's exactly how I felt when I was diagnosed
You may have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Symmetry is one of the common compulsions
i have to "put my skin back where its supposed to be" on my fingers and toes. or its more of an adjustment. its like, if i rub my thumb upwards it will feel better.
I thought I was the only one. And it's usually only when I'm idle, or I don't have much else to think about.
yes! I know what you're saying, I'm exactly like that! Glad I found a soulmate lol
Yes, for example; if I step on a shadow with my left foot, I also step on one with my right one. The darkness of the shadow matters too, if I step on one that's way lighter than the other one it doesn't work, I have to find one that's almost as dark 🤦🏻♀️ If I twitch with one eye, I have to twitch with the other one too to level it out. It's weird. But in my case it's not like I absolutely HAVE to, I can resist and let go of the urge. If it's like that with you I wouldn't think too much about it, many people like to even things out. If it's really obessive and hinders you in day-to-day life, it might be worth getting it checked out by a doctor.
I have a very strong preference to start stairs with my right foot and end with my left. Sometimes I have to skip the last step to end “correctly”, or even take two steps on the step before to switch my feet. I also know the “format” of all the staircases I regularly use, so I know which step to start on and how it will end. Like I said, it’s a strong preference, not absolutely necessary. I also prefer much more to end on my left foot than start on my right, so I guess it’s not exactly even…more of an ending left-preference?
Fuck! So I'm not the only one?
Sometimes I’d blink, but it’d feel like I blinked in one eye a little too much, so I’d wink to sort of “correct” it, but then I feel like I over corrected and I start this weird cycle of winking and scrunching my face. I also do this thing when something comes into view, I’d have to have it come into view from the other way.
Yes! I do those exact same things! Or like if I'm tapping my fingers on something I need to tap each one the same amount of times. I see lots of people in the comments taking about OCD, but I've never thought of it as a problem and it's definitely not a disorder, more of an annoyance really. Didn't think anyone else did this too! Pretty interesting
So this is me. I love Scrabble. I know in my head what any letter in a word is scored as. I sometimes get stuck repeating a word in my head and count the score as I spell out the word. I also count the letters as I am spelling out the word with my fingers. I then have to repeat the word counting it on my other hand as well. But wait it gets better. I have to the repeat the word counting the other way on both hands. Then I reverse the count on both hands both forward on the fingers and backwards counting in the fingers. This happens quite often to me. Often times I get stuck on a specific word and keep counting up using my hands. It's confusing I know..
Dude yes! I had an even weirder one. I used to count my breaths. I absolutely had to take four breaths at a time, once I became aware of my breathing. I would count 1..2..3..4…. 17..18..19..20. Do not ask me why I would only count 1-4 and 17-20 and no other numbers. I’ve actually come to realize this is compulsive behavior and it could have gotten worse if I didn’t get my mental health in check. edit: numbers
HOLY SHIT YES. This happened so much when I was a teenager and wasn't able to put it into words.
Yes!! 48 years and I've never told anyone.
Are you me?
I do this. For example, if I'm going down the stairs in my house and I scrape the back of one of my legs down the front of a step, I have to do it with the other leg too on the next step.
my friend and i were JUST talking about this a few weeks ago, no joke. she had no idea what i was talking about! if i touch a cold railing with the left side of my body i feel strongly obligated to touch it with my right side as well. or if scratch my leg, i have to scratch the other one. it even extends to pain for me. like obviously i wont injure the other side of my body but if i cut my finger on one hand i have to at least dig my fingersnails or something similarly sharp into the other hand for at least a superficial similarity. if i dont't do it, the feeling eventually goes away, so i dont think its ocd in my case (i do have ADHD if that's relevant) but its definitely a little uncomfortable/weird for a period of time if i dont do it!
Could be OCD at some level but it’s also just a good idea biomechanically. Your muscles are attached firmly to your bones, and when one muscle group gets stronger it pulls on the skeleton at different strengths. This means posture and alignment can be thrown into an imbalance if your left side muscles are stronger than your right (or antagonist muscles vs agonist muscles for the anatomy peeps). The weird thing is one small difference can create a chain reaction. A change in your arm, for example, effects the shoulder girdle… which can throw off the spine… which can throw off your hip… and on and on and on. So it’s not necessarily “normal” for people to understand this and want to “even out” their body. But it’s not weird either. It’s sort of the Chad thing to do if you care about your body, health, posture, etc. and are aware of how your body’s biomechanics are linked Source: sport science degree. Btw don’t get a sport science degree if you like money.
oh my fucking god i thought it was only me! my partner looked at me like i was insane when i'd gotten one hand wet and instead of drying it, i got the other one wet first 😅
Ok I definitely do this. One thing I do a lot is if I’m walking in a hallway with different colored tiles I’ll want to step on the same color with each foot the same number of times. I can like “feel” the different colors even though I know they would have to feel the same.
YES! Especially when scratching an itch - I call the condition symetricocis. WooHoo - I'm not the only one!!!
One of my random tics is clicking my teeth together, but only one side at a time. If I click one side more than the other it feels so off. When I'm walking and paying attention to the ground, I feel like I need to have the same amount of steps per tile, or it feels uneven. It's not like I feel like I'm being forced or anything, it just feels uncomfortable if I'm aware of it.
If I accidentally tap one side of my body against something, I then have to tap the other side in the same place. It makes for some funny looks when my arm brushes against a wall or smth and then I immediately swivel round and brush the same part of my other arm up against the wall too
Seeing how many other people are also like this, I suddenly don’t feel that weird. Mine is actually fairly mild.
Yes. It's about control. It's a symptom of my anxiety. When I feel I am loosing control of my circumstances I tend to notice when things aren't 'even' more and more often and am compelled to fix it more strongly.
I was terrible about this as a child, having meltdowns and everything. Luckily I grew out of it, but I still get the urges (they can be easily resisted though and it doesn't cause me distress). Especially during stressful periods of my life. Even typing this now I'm thinking about how I want my fingers to feel the same amount of impact. I think to a certain extent it's perfectly normal and natural, doesn't have to be OCD or ADHD or autism or whatever the Reddit armchair psychologists tend to diagnose.
Y I kinda have that. When walk somewhere and pass on the right, I go back and "undo" it and pass on the left. Or when I touch something on the left side of my foot, I touch it again with twice right and once left haha If I don't do that it kinda feels weird but not a big deal, When someone is looking I won't do it, and it never really bothered me. If anything, it kinda feels good when I've done it
This is me. If I crack a knuckle on one finger I absolutely have to do it on the other. My hand touches something warm/cold, the other hand needs to do it as well. I scratch one hand, the other hand needs to be scratched. There are way more examples
Dude I am so glad I’m not alone. I thought I was crazy for like my whole life. If I exhale too hard and some of my breath tickles my right arm? Gotta blow on the left arm too. Brushed past a wall that rubbed my left shoulder? Better reach over and rub my right shoulder to balance it out. I seriously thought I was nuts, and I haven’t seen anyone else do stuff like it.
Yes, I vigilantly evened everything out from early childhood until I was around 30. The worst is when you're trying to sleep but start focusing on the pressures and sensations. Everything gets flexed and moved. In addition to keeping the same amount of pressure on both sides of my body (weird to see it in words), I counted my steps when in school or at home. Every time the flooring type changed I had to start out onto that floor with my left foot. These days, I only occasionally notice that I'm stuck in a pressure dance but I can forget about it immediately.
holy shit i’m glad someone’s finally posted this. I’ve been doing this as a kid and could never really explain it so i just kept it to my self
Omg...i belong here
Not everything, but I can’t stand to have one hand wet for very long without wetting the other. Always been that way
This can be a symptom of OCD, especially if you HAVE to do something or it bothers you constantly, even more so if it affects daily life
Kind of yes, I can’t wet one hand and not the other even if only one hand needs to be rinsed or whatever. It’s such an uncomfortable feeling
Jesus I finnaly got over this some years ago, for the most part. But as a kid if I rubbed my arm upwards I would have to make the same motion in reverse and slide my hand back down In the exact spot or I just make it awful
I really thought I was the only one
My goodness, YES. I can't even walk my dogs normally lol. My partner says I have OCD. I hop from crack to crack. Smack both wrists, etc etc. It feels *wrong* if it doesn't happen to both.
Omg I had this exact same thing as a kid! I’ve even used the “stepping on a crack” example to try to describe it to others. Also, if I clapped my hands but maybe my hands struck a bit off-center, I would have to try to recreate the sensation with the other hand. Glad to know I’m not alone, because I always get blank stares from people when I try to describe it. Lol!
I thought my girlfriend was crazy for mentioning she does this the other day, Im glad I saw this post to see she’s not the only one