Tips?

Does anyone have any tips for controlling perfection impulses while folding laundry? Whether it be my husband and I's laundry or my kids' laundry It literally take me 45 minutes just to fold one hamper of clothes because I will stand there and adjust or refold. Everything has to be folded a specific way the same way or I lose my mind if I don't refold it. Everything has to be sorted into category. I just can't stop myself because I know if I don't do it I'll obsess over it until I do something about it. I saw a tip that said to just hold my hand out so I can't see it or something but that doesn't work for me.

Perfectionism OCD

Username: BremillyBremilly

Date posted: 48w ago

I think your husband should either be more understanding or help some- cause it seems like he doesn’t understand OCD But for taking less time maybe like having a time limit or purposefully messing some of them up a little bit and stacking like a “too late it’s under all those” or maybe not being aloud to look after you set it down I’m not sure though,, I also struggle with this but it’s hard to fix because in my head it’s like, not really a bad thing to want everything to look perfect but when it’s messing up other things it’s hard. But also even if you were able to control this it’s weird your partner wouldn’t be more understanding

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 47w ago

Thank you. He does understand. It bothers him more when I do ALL of the laundry before I start folding it (I have ADHD and get easily distracted and procrastinate) so what should take around 20-30 minutes to fold and put away takes me 1½-2 hours. And when he tries to help me or do it himself I compulsively go back and refold everything. So his frustration is understandable to me.

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 47w ago

@Anonymous I also have acute anxiety disorder so sitting and staring at four hampers of laundry that I have procrastinated doing overwhelms me and he feels like there's nothing he can do to help me because if he tries I get frustrated

Username: VGHVGH

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 48w ago

Hi, I’m sorry you’re experiencing this, know there are many of us out here with similar struggles. Understanding with OCD the things we do to relieve the distress, are the things that keep OCD going strong. Learning to not do the things that make us feel better, and learning to sit with the discomfort that follows is how we recover. ERP, exposure response prevention is what worked for me along with ACT, acceptance, commitment therapy. Explore NOCD’s YouTube channel, a helpful book, “Needing to Know for Sure” Winston, Seif. Therapy with NOCD was so helpful. I was a checker. I spent hours and hours checking things. You can learn to stop your compulsions, it takes time and practice but the sad truth is if you don’t stop the compulsions OCD will get worse. I had untreated OCD for over 35 years, but there is hope and effective treatment.

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 48w ago

I would also like to add that it bothers my husband that it takes me so long to do certain things and because of that my OCD is affecting my relationship

Username: canigetawitn...

Date posted: 4y ago

Just put my clothes in the dryer and my mind said "You need to put extra cups of laundry detergent in the dryer because it'd make you uncomfortable. Do it as an exposure." I tried to tell myself that I didn't need to do that, that I'm allowed to wash my clothes normally, but now I can't stop thinking about what if I followed through with my initial, intrusive thought. This is awful. What would ERP say to do?

Username: LR237787

Date posted: 3y ago

anybody out there with perfectionism OCD? I didn't even know I had it, because my main safety behavior is avoidance. I am having trouble cooking, cleaning, and exercising! any advice? ("Just doing it" is too anxiety producing atm)

Perfectionism OCD

Username: Anonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

Really Stressing!

I have been dealing with severe contamination OCD for awhile now and for the past several months it has been around laundry. I have been working with my ERP therapist here and taking baby steps since this is at the top of my hierarchy. I was slowly making progress however my husband once again has triggered me back to the start and this is not the first time he has done this. I simply asked him to let me do the laundry and I had a system, I will say an odd system however that was working for me while I continued with the baby steps and keeping my anxiety at a manageable level. Now I just feel so angry, at myself, at him and at my OCD. I have already replaced the washer twice. I just feel like I can't catch a break and now I am forced to sit with the anxiety, not by choice because I can't afford to replace it again! 😢

Contamination OCD

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