# Things that you OCD about **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 17, 2021, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534 "2021-11-17T22:56:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PozhanPop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pozhanpop/32/8022_2.png) [@PozhanPop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PozhanPop)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/1 "2021-11-17T22:56:59Z")
So tired of nothing but depressing news all around me. What are some things that you OCD about ? Of course not at a mental disorder level : ) For me 1. Symmetry 2. Twisted Telephone Cords 3. Checking trouser pocket for my wallet 4. Listening to music sitting at the sweetest spot 5. Lacing my sneakers a certain way ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/2 "2021-11-17T23:06:42Z")
Making sure PiperDog is safely inside before I go to bed, when it’s snowing and freezing outside. We had a blizzard last night and I checked his bed about three times to make sure he was safe and sound. ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/3 "2021-11-17T23:16:26Z")
Checking my purse every time I pick it up to make sure that I am carrying: 1. Cell phone 2. Wallet 3. Reading glasses 4. Car keys It has gotten so that I know if one of the above things are missing just by the weight of my purse. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/4 "2021-11-17T23:29:20Z")
Never letting my gas gauge wander below half a tank. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/5 "2021-11-17T23:30:25Z")
Turning off unused lights and closing exterior doors left ajar by others. The first is because I hate to waste electricity. The second is because I live in terror of a rodent gaining access to my pantry. I also load my dishwasher in an OCD way. Things must be placed Just So. ---
**Author:** ![TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thegunismightierthanthepen/32/2981_2.png) [@TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheGunIsMightierThanThePen)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/6 "2021-11-17T23:35:16Z")
1. Whenever I am at a public place and I see stacks of things (plates, plastic cups, napkins, _etc._) of unequal heights, I always shift things between the piles so that all of them are equalized in height 2. When I checkout my items at the grocery store, I try my best to arrange my items in a Tetris-like manner on the checkout conveyor belt, as to get the least wasted space 3. If I have to pay with cash, I always pick the most worn-out bills from my wallet ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/7 "2021-11-17T23:35:59Z")
The keys go in 2 places only. Clipped to my belt loop or the hook by the door. _Maybe_ in my hoodie pocket for the walk from the garage to the door. The dinner plates must be stacked blue-green-blue-green. The dog’s treat ball gets 12 cookies in it. ---
**Author:** ![PozhanPop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pozhanpop/32/8022_2.png) [@PozhanPop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PozhanPop)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/8 "2021-11-17T23:50:41Z")
Wow ! I also need to pick up trash on the sidewalk and carry it to the nearest trashcan. I can only use click ball pens whose tip stick out a certain length. My parking spot at work has a line of trees. I need to have a tree on either side of me and one in front. ☹ I need a perfectly straight horizon in my photographs. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/9 "2021-11-17T23:56:07Z")
For me, all kinds of things (I was diagnosed about a decade ago, have taken meds): - Are my light bulbs drawing too much electricity and causing a silent electrical fire? - Is my laptop infected with some sort of malware and I just don’t know it? - Is my refrigerator or dehumidifier leaking refrigerant? - Is someone stalking me and contacting my Facebook friends? - Did I just step on animal droppings while walking outdoors? Etc. etc. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/10 "2021-11-18T00:02:40Z")
Doing the crossword in ink, and I have to use the same pen from start to finish. Can’t bear the thought of two colors of ink on the same puzzle. And I print it all in upper case. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/11 "2021-11-18T00:51:15Z")
My dishes must be clean, clean clean. And yes, I stack them thus and so in the dishwasher. The ex would regularly laugh at me for doing so (but he would correct mine if I did in wrong in the UK home). I fold clothing directly out of a warm dryer so I don’t have to iron. I don’t think this is terribly OCD but certainly practical. Mise en place when cooking or baking. I shower in a specific order, as I was taught. I’m not so good at verifying that I have everything I need before I exit the house, but I’m working on it. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/12 "2021-11-18T00:59:41Z")
I obsessively check to see if I have my phone with me on the way to work. I can’t get a booster until Moderna is approved, because that’s what I had before. I park in the same spot and eat the same foods every weekday. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/13 "2021-11-18T03:24:19Z")
One of my nicknames while in the Navy was _Petty Officer Count_. That’s because every time I go somewhere as part of a group, before we leave for the destination, at any intermediate destinations, and before and upon return, I always count the number of people in the group to ensure we don’t leave anyone behind. I still do the constant counting thing, especially if there are children in the group. I also share the OP’s concern with twisted telephone cords. On top of those two, I despise being late for anything. “Lombardi Time” was drilled into me in Basic Combat Training and it’s done me well since then. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/14 "2021-11-18T11:53:12Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Doing the crossword in ink, and I have to use the same pen from start to finish. Can’t bear the thought of two colors of ink on the same puzzle. And I print it all in upper case. Exactly, all of this. And I have a specific brand that is my crossword pen; I bought 2 dozen of them from Amazon. For the rare case when I’m doing a crossword and I don’t have my pen, it’s a little uncomfortable. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/15 "2021-11-18T12:27:49Z")
It’s mainly a way to kill time while waiting for the traffic lights to change, but I’ll look at the number set on the license plate in front of me and break it down to its prime factors. ---
**Author:** ![Kelevra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@Kelevra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelevra)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/16 "2021-11-18T14:26:03Z")
Things that _ **you’re** _ OCD about ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/17 "2021-11-18T14:26:58Z")
Timing my arrival at work to get the absolutely best parking spot. It’s about a 50/50 chance if I arrive between 6:10 and 6:14 AM. Before or after that time slot, I’m generally out of luck ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/18 "2021-11-18T14:45:24Z")
Crooked pictures frames Crooked lamp shades Double check if the garage door is closed When I had The NY Times delivered , had to read the first page before anyone else ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/19 "2021-11-18T15:18:31Z")
The just laundered kitchen towels have to go under the ones that are already in the drawer so they’re used equally. Same with bath towels, face cloths, underwear, and plates. Picture frames, lampshades, table cloths, etc have to be straight. I hate anything that looks crooked. The tags must be cut off of electric cords. Lights are to be turned off when leaving a room. Shoes are to be taken off when entering the house. When a new jam, peanut butter, mayo, or hair spray is opened up, I buy a new one to stock the cupboard on my very next shopping trip. I like to know those items are always on hand (and I don’t even eat mayo!). Not sure why just those items. When shoes are removed, they should be placed side by side, and please not so they look like you wear them on the wrong feet! Crossword puzzles are to be written in ink. Do not mess up my newspaper. I want to read it in the proper order. String cheese must be eaten in string form. When the potato chips left in the bag are too small (I’m talking whole chips, not crumbs) the bag gets tossed in the garbage. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534/20 "2021-11-18T15:40:58Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > I also load my dishwasher in an OCD way. Things must be placed Just So. This is me. Sorta. I put the dishes in so emptying the dishwasher is fast and efficient. I also make sure spoons and forks aren’t nested so they are cleaned properly. But it’s not like I’m particular about which glasses go where. I just know how things are cleaned best. I’m not sure that’s OCD. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-you-ocd-about/954534.md?page=2)