I keep checking things over and over, mostly locks, switches, and whether I sent the right message. I know I already checked, but then this doubt pops back up and I feel like I need to check again just to get temporary relief. Sometimes I’ll go back three or four times, even when I’m already late.
I’m trying to figure out if this could be OCD or if I’m just overly cautious. The part that confuses me is that I know the fear probably isn’t reasonable, but knowing that doesn’t stop the urge. It’s starting to waste time and make me feel on edge. Is repeated checking like this something I should bring up with a mental health professional?
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The temporary relief part is what would make me bring it up with a professional. I’ve had that same kind of doubt where checking helps for a minute, then somehow makes the doubt come back even louder.
It doesn’t mean you can diagnose yourself from this, but it sounds like more than just being careful if it’s making you late and keeping you on edge. A therapist can help sort out what’s going on, and treatments like CBT with exposure and response prevention are often used for checking compulsions.
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@Stephanie_Thomas, the doubt coming back louder after checking was the clue for me too. I used to think one more check would settle things, but it only trained my brain to demand another one.
One practical thing that helped was setting a single checking rule before leaving, like checking the lock once while saying “locked” out loud, then not going back. It felt uncomfortable at first, but the urge eventually dropped without another check. I’d still bring it up with a therapist, especially since ERP can help with that exact cycle.