Guest guest Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 Hi ! Thank you for your insight. LOL, no I don't think you have OCD either! Having both, I can see many similarities between OCD and 4S but I don't think 4S 'is' OCD... otherwise, I would have been 'fixed' 7 years ago when I started meds for my OCD. I wish it was OCD too! I was wondering something... you stated that you often forget how anxious eating noises make you until right before you sit down at the table. So do you mean that you generally go through your day without anticipating the noises too much until they actually occur? I was just curious because with me, I think that is where my OCD comes into play.... I will worry repetitively about hearing the noises even though they 'might' not happen and often times don't. I find myself tip-toeing around the house to avoid making any noise so that my bird won't squawk (biggest trigger). There are days occasionally where the sounds aren't too bad (number of times they happen) but I find myself sick just from all the anticipating. Jeez. I never knew if this was just part of 4S or if it was my OCD. > > I have 4s and I don't have ocd. Here is a list of all the things that > I am " obsessive " about: eating noises, tv noises, breathing noises, > sniffing, toothbrush noises, mouse and blackberry " clicking " . > > Here is a list of all the things I am non-obsessive about: cleaning, > personal hygiene, staying organized, my schedule, money, spelling, > everything in my life beside noise. > > Really seriously I would love for this to be ocd. Just give me the > strongest ocd pill ever invented and my symptoms will be significantly > controlled or better right ? > > I wish. > > Apparently many 4s sufferers have ocd. I however, outside of noise > issues am quite non ocd. Even with the noise issues it is not uncommon > for me to forget my earplugs, even to forget how anxious eating noises > make me until I literally 5 minutes from sitting down at the table. > > At my best I was fairly organized and very punctual but Martha > and Bree VanDeCamp were always distant fantasy goals. No one would > ever describe me like that. Now with two children, I pretty much take > life one day at a time and while I don't qualify for " how clean is > your house " I still wouldn't want those ladies to visit. (it's pretty > normal to have an almost full load of dirty dishes to load by the time > I unload the dishwasher). > > I do like to wash my hands (once) after being away from the house or > pumping gasoline but I am easily distracted and forget sometimes. > > If I have ocd I suspect 90% of the population has it. > > I mean no disrespect to all of the people who suffer from 4s and ocd. > I just think I am not one of them. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 LOL andra! I like the " throw a shoe " at the bird idea Eating and gum popping have always been my biggest triggers but this bird (husbands pet) for some reason really gets to me. She doesn't even squawk that much and all of her sounds I can tolerate but one... she sounds like a bluejay and it makes me so dang irrate! I can't figure it out at all why that bugs me? So strange. I cope by listening to my ipod a lot... otherwise I'd probably strangle her. That is what I hate about this condition is the thoughts it puts in my head. I love animals... LOVE them and I'd never hurt one, but sometimes I have the thought pass through my head that I'd like to feed the bird to the cat Don't worry I won't. LOL. > > Darlene, your bird's squawk is your biggest trigger? How do you deal with that? If it was a person I guess you could have some control but...your bird? I think I would throw a shoe at it every time ;o) You are a strong woman! > > I find the anticipation anxiety much worse when I've been around many triggers...maybe you're around them all the time and are constantly anticipating when the next will come? That's torture... > > Love, > > andra > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 Sonya thank you! Yes you are right... we have bluejays in our area and they do bug me themselves! Besides having an annoying squawk they are bullies to my cardinals and goldfinches which I love and love to hear sing. His bird is a Java mustache parakeet but is like a small parrot and she does mimic. I wish it was a lovebird She's quite loud and obnoxious at times. I am going to do what you suggested with the bird cd and see what happens... it can't hurt. I'll just make sure I get one with pleasant birds on it > > Hi Darlene, > > I have two lovebirds and fortunately, I love the way they sound. Based on > my knowledge of birds I would like to make a suggestion that could solve the > problem for you. Is your husband's bird a parrot? Do you have blue jays in > your area? The thing about parrots is that they are known for imitating the > sounds around them and what they imitate can change based on what they are > exposed to. Some of my lovebird's favorite creatures to imitate are > cardinals and squirrels. I definitely notice the difference in the sounds > they make when they have been at my mothers house for a couple of weeks and > I get them back. > > > I would suggest that you play a CD of bird sounds that you like for your > husband's pet on a regular basis. Also anything you can do to reduce or > eliminate exposure to blue jay or other squawking birds may help as she may > literally be imitating what she hears outside. > > I hope this helps! > > Sonya > > PS--andria--I agree about the anticipatory anxiety--it is difficult to > be vigilantly awaiting the next time I encounter gum chewing. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 22, 2008 Report Share Posted December 22, 2008 > So do you mean that you generally go through your day without > anticipating the noises too much until they actually occur? I was > just curious because with me, I think that is where my OCD comes into > play.... I will worry repetitively about hearing the noises even > though they 'might' not happen and often times don't. Yes. I do have anticipatory anxiety but never " all day " . For example, usually before Holidays I'll experience some pre-dread of the event but no more than I would for anything else (like say a dental appt). I might think about it from time to time but not obsessively. I remember one incident in particular on Thanksgiving. This was probably 10 years ago before I heard of 4s or had even thought of using ear plugs during a meal (I might have occasionally used them for sleeping at that time). Anyway, I ate my two huge plates of food and drank several glasses of wine to drown out the noise and dull my senses respectively. Finally our meal was over. My brother and mother were my only triggers then and they were both there. Anyway, after we all left the table, my brother started cracking and eating from a bowl of nuts. That's when I pretty much lost it because I realized it was indefinite - no end in sight. The guy could really eat and it was a big bowl. Well most of the time was spent between cracks and how much of the nut chewing could I really be hearing. But the knowing that he would be going on and on and on, I tried to remove the bowl and we had a few words over it. I don't remember anymore but am fairly certain I went upstairs and hid in one of the bedrooms until I left. (I would often retreat to a bedroom after a meal with the excuse of a headache or being overly full). That kind of dread is anticipatory but it is very real current anticipatory and that kind I can't tolerate. But if I know I have a dreaded event tomorrow ... I might think about it two or three times today for a minute or two each but that would pretty much be it for me. So I don't think that is OCD. When the actual event is looming, I see the food on the table or it is cooking, that is normally when my aticipatory dread will set in but even then it is intermittant. Of course now that I have the white (or is it pink?) noisemakers for my ears my anticipatory dread is even less. We went to my husbands employers Christmas party recently and I forgot my ear devices (again if my aniticipatory dread were great I would remember the ear devices). Anyway, my husband did not have our drink tickets and I told him I had to have a drink immediatly since I forgot my ear devices (ok right now I sound like an alcoholic but I very rarely have more than 3 drinks a week and often go weeks without any alcohol - but I have found that in a pinch a drink or two will help). So he left his plate of food on the table and off he went to hunt down our drink tickets and bring me a drink (he's a keeper). Well the music and background noise were so loud I don't think I really had anything to worry about. But the point is I did not remember that I forgot my ear devices until I was loading my plate up with food. I think my husband is great in terms of reducing my stress with this issue though because he is understanding. I could never go on a show like survivor though. After the first season my husband told me I should apply and my very first thought was " sleep with a bunch of snoring people ? I would be awake all night and end up with a migraine. " So I definitely think in an anticipatory way about the problem. I just doubt it would termed an " OCD " way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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