A to Z Challenge 2024: Day 15: Obsession

Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay

When I was misdiagnosed as having type 2 bipolar disorder, I was also diagnosed as having obsessive-compulsive disorder. I do have obsessive features to my personality, but I think these stem from ADHD and anxiety.

I count things, but this is a mechanism to break myself out of indecision rather than feeling like something bad is going to happen if I don’t do it. I have a system so I don’t become indecisive about what number I’m going to use. For instance, this year my number is 18, which can be further condensed down to 9. I arrived at this number by adding up this year’s digits.

2+10+2+4=18

Therefore, if I have multiple items to choose from, I’ll select either the ninth or the eighteenth one.

I might also choose to select the fourth item (April is the fourth month) or the 14^th item because today is the fourteenth day of the month. Since it’s one PM, I could also just select the first item.

Again, I do this to short-circuit my sometimes crippling indecisiveness, yet another glitch born from anxiety. I don’t think I have OCD.  

~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~

Image by Mystic Art Design from Pixabay

"Honestly, Galadriel, I don't think you're going to have much luck reading any of these books. They're floating in the water, there are trees growing out of them, and there's a small, angry guy with a sword on the bottom one."