Correlation with OCD

[individuo]

Maybe this topic has been discussed in the past...

Is there a higher incidence of OCD among INTPs?

I have OCD and I've attributed my over-analysis mainly to that.
Of course, one can be over-analyser and still have no OCD, but I've read quite some threads here and plenty of them scream out loud "OCD"

Got any opinions/data/facts?

 

[Architect]

I've been prone to it, and my INTP son is too. It correlates to how challenged we are, when we get bored we tend to get OCDish.

 

[individuo]

It correlates to how challenged we are, when we get bored we tend to get OCDish.

This is very interesting. By 'we' you mean you and your son or 'we' in a broader sense as 'we INTPs' ?

 

[CLOfriendOSE]

I'm also an INTP with OCD.

In short, I think that most of America seems to use "disorder" to mean "anything different from the SJ standard".

Taking medication for my OCD wound up making me more anxious and depressed than being off it and learning how to embrace my OCD as something - gasp - productive.

This leads me to think that people with debilitating OCD could be responding negatively to a social climate that constantly says "there's something wrong with you"! We need more "you have a unique way of functioning".

I mean, 100+ years ago, I feel that many of us would just have been called "hard working".

 

[individuo]

I agree with the SJ standard thing. But I fear I might have misunderstood your point in some way, do you mean that if the world was more NT we wouldn't need to treat OCD?

As you know OCD traits like over-thinking/over-analysing don't necessarily imply that one has OCD, thus on the other hand ridiculous obsessions followed by rituals and a whole roller-coaster of anxiety certainly mean something's wrong and needs to be fixed.

 

[scorpiomover]

I used to have it when I was younger. Was a sign of extreme anxiety that was being suppressed.

 

[A22]

Symptoms of the disorder include excessive washing or cleaning; repeated checking; extreme hoarding;

I have all these. I'm kind of a germ freak, but I can easily say to myself "fuck it" and stop worrying so much. But just for a while, then I get my alcohol 70%.

I don't think I have OCD btw

 

[Agent Intellect]

I have Tourette syndrome with comorbid OCD.

I'm not sure OCD is the same as over-analysis, unless you mean over-analysis in the sense of analyzing a bump you hit in the road so deeply that you almost have an anxiety attack until you turn the car around and go back to look to make sure you didn't hit somebody.

In my experience, OCD is nothing but an annoying problem, a feeling that wells up from inside that compels me to do things I know I don't have to do - irrationality that I know is irrational. I wouldn't equate something like the feeling that I might have to keep urinating for a minute or more after I finished taking a piss with being highly analytical and I find the idea of making OCD seem like something that could be beneficial almost insulting.

 

[kantor1003]

When I was younger I had some habits. Whenever I did something with one hand, I often had to mimic it with the other as I found it very uncomfortable to feel a sense of touch on one side, but not the other. Also, I often had to smell things, I think, and repeatedly. I can relate to excessive washing of hands as well.

I remember that I fairly recently (I'm not sure which time frame this is, but I guess around 5-7 years ago) had several episodes where I had problems sleeping as I was, while laying in bed, overtly conscious on the fact that I had to close my eyes for the last time before the day was over. I was having an internal monologue with myself over which eyelid "shut" that where to be my last, which could cause excess blinking. The reason I mention this is because I think it's related to a current habit of mine (one that have lasted for a good 2-3 years I think). It started with the same thing, only that this time it was my voice. Being overtly conscious on which sound (from my vocal chords) that where to be the last for the day. I think it escalated, and now I often find myself having to make a sound, similar to the one you'd make if you in conversation reply "hmm", only not so loud (it's not easily noticeable when I do it I think). I'm pretty sure I do it more often when I'm stressed, or troubled. I want to quit doing it however. I'm tired of that habit now.

 

[BigApplePi]

I hope I can find something useful to say here.

(1) Someone close to me has OCD and takes Zoloff (sp?).
(2)I myself have wasteful repetitive activities.
(3) My only experience with Tourettes (outside of a fellow classmate from college), was a woman on an internet bulletin board who had it. She begged her fellow posters not to get her upset as this would precipitate symptoms. I used to speak with her off-line as she was a Mormon and was eager to convert me. I just listened and in this respect everything went normally. I didn't precipitate anything.

So. This brings up the question of cause and effect. If it is continuous, 24/7 that is one thing. Else if not, what would kick off symptoms ... other than special brain mal-functions which might show up an MRI or Cat-scan or whatever? I'm going to go with an "imprisonment" theory. INTP's in particular may have learned that they can go only so far in this socialized world. Lousy Fe. Sensitivity to Si. Ever see one lf those tigers in the zoo locked in a small cage? I'm seen one pace back and forth, make a turn in a stilted manner over and over. This tiger is not living under natural conditions. This tiger is imprisoned and MUST release its energy. Ever bite your finger nails? What is this for? What purpose does it serve as one can cut their finger nails instead. Answer: energy imprisoned.

Agent Intellect asked, "What possible use (evolutionary) benefit (paraphrase) can this have? I sit here in front of the computer. My motives are varied but can reach contradiction. That is, part of me want to finish what I'm doing; part of me gets stuck on something and I can't finish ... or don't see an easy rode out. It is then that I can indulge in some "useless" repetitive/socially embarrassing activity. I hide it even from my wife. So I thought of a solution: I need to go out and weed the garden and field. Being outside is a fun physical activity, but not too many people like to weed. I LOVE it. It present a complex but highly repetitive physical activity. My unsocial repetitive (OCD) goes away. Being a farmer is a valuable and approved social activity. The OCD here is displaced energy bottled up.

 

[Architect]

This is very interesting. By 'we' you mean you and your son or 'we' in a broader sense as 'we INTPs' ?

Me and my INTP son. Triggered by either being bored (no challenges) or under pressure.

 

[rangelife]

I'm prone to OCD as well. I feel like I've got a better grip on it though. In my early teen years I had no grip on it and would incessantly think unwanted thoughts subsequently brainwashing myself.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

I'm pretty sure OCD is not a trend in any one type, if anything it's more a question of 'how does it manifest'.

 

[Agent Intellect]

Does anyone else here who claims to have OCD ever get a disturbing thought in their head, not just picturing an event but actually feeling and almost experiencing it, that they can't escape, no matter what you do or how hard you try? Does this thought invade your mind and intrude on everything you try to do, causing anxiety to the point of a panic attack? Do your intrusive thoughts cause severe anxiety instead of your anxiety causing intrusive thoughts?

If you answered "yes" to all of these questions, then you have OCD as I understand it (and experience it). If you answered "no" to these questions, then you probably don't have OCD. You probably have hypochondria.

 

[BigApplePi]

Does anyone else here who claims to have OCD ever get a disturbing thought in their head, not just picturing an event but actually feeling and almost experiencing it, that they can't escape, no matter what you do or how hard you try? Does this thought invade your mind and intrude on everything you try to do, causing anxiety to the point of a panic attack? Do your intrusive thoughts cause severe anxiety instead of your anxiety causing intrusive thoughts?

If you answered "yes" to all of these questions, then you have OCD as I understand it (and experience it). If you answered "no" to these questions, then you probably don't have OCD. You probably have hypochondria.

Um. I thought OCD has two parts, one obsessive and the other compulsive. I have compulsive and ignore all obsessions. That amounts to not having much in the way of obsessions although some foolish things may appear from time to time ... as I say I ignore. Not hypochondria though that could be a manifestation in others. I have a medical family background to discount that.

Added: I'd call nail biting complusive. If one goes directly to the act, there is no time for any obsession. I am wrong?