I keep wondering whether my need to recheck everything is more than general anxiety. I’ll lock the door, then check it again before I leave, sometimes more than once. The same thing happens with emails, appliances, and small tasks at work. I usually know I already checked, but I still get this uncomfortable feeling that I missed something.
It can take up a lot of time, and reassurance only helps for a little while. I’m not sure if this sounds more like an OCD-related pattern, or if anxiety alone can cause this kind of repetition. Has anyone else dealt with rechecking that felt this persistent?
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The part about knowing you already checked but still feeling that something was missed is what made me think of OCD-style checking, though anxiety can cause it too. I couldn’t sort that out from symptoms alone.
What helped me was tracking how much time the checking took and what happened if I stopped after one deliberate check. That gave my therapist something concrete to work with, and we used gradual exposure and response prevention rather than more reassurance. A mental health professional could help you tell whether the pattern fits OCD or another anxiety problem.
The fact that you know you already checked but still feel like you need to do it again sounds worth bringing up with a therapist. I’ve had anxiety make me second-guess things, but when the checking starts taking up a lot of time and reassurance only works briefly, it seems like there may be a cycle keeping it going.
It might help to write down what you checked, how many times, and what you were afraid would happen if you stopped. Not as another way to check, just so you can show the pattern clearly to a professional. They can help sort out whether it fits OCD, anxiety, or something else, and talk through treatment options like ERP.