I have a problem with checking (as well as other OCD problems such as cleaning / washing / extreme organising / counting / obsessional thoughts - I am formally diagnosed with OCD).
I check the house for fire risks / open windows / unlocked doors repeatedly. And I keep checking that I haven't lost things in my room (as in, I could be sitting at my desk, and every 10 minutes I have to get up and search for an item to check I haven't lost it).
This is disrupting my studying.
The major problem with my studying is that when I've read a few pages, I then have to repeatedly check those few pages to make sure I have read and understood everything. So often, it can take me well over half an hour to get through 2-3 pages with diagrams and not all text, because I keep checking. Sometimes I try to work through the whole chapter without checking, but then I end up having a huge panic because I feel like I have forgotten everything and that I've wasted precious time. I then go and spend two hours checking on that chapter.
Can anyone give me any advice on how to tackle this?
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
My best friend is a lot like you.
I'm not sure if this advice is any good, but try and distract yourself from the urges to check, do something else you enjoy when you get that urge.
Goodluck, and I know you can get through this!
xo
Perhaps try gradually tackling the problem. Instead of reading a whole chapter without checking, start with reading half a chapter for example. As you get better increase the amount of pages you go through. (Can be used with other OCD behaviors too)
If its a textbook...are there end-of-chapter quizzes/questions at the end of sections? If so instead of going back over everything, see how well you can answer the questions and only go back over things you didn't answer correctly?
Rationalizing things helps in lots of situations. Theres no reason that you have to remember every detail of what you read. Few people can do that. Nor is there any reason you should immediately forget things you just read as long as you were focused. Theres no reason an item you would suddenly become lost etc.
I forget the correct terms for it, but basically its a matter of learning to tolerate the stress of not acting on the obsessive thoughts- at some point the stress will go away without following through. Distraction helps.
My psych said I have OCD tendencies, which I already knew beforehand- I know it can be very difficult to not act on these sorts of thoughts!
Every day the world is made a chance to change but i feel the same.
And I wonder why would i wait till i die to come alive?"
All alone the way she feels
Left alone to deal with all the pain-drenched sorrow relief
just got to resist the urge, and practice not checking every chance you get. it is going to feel uncomfortable, but if you do it enough times, the discomfort will go away
this is my magical medicine cabinet. Left to right they contain: courage, hope, calmness, and strength.
The magical part: They NEVER run out, so borrow some any time you want.
Do you take notes as you read? You could then just go over your notes at the end of each section or chapter instead of re-reading everything. Although, careful to not spend too much time note taking...I have a problem with taking too many and too detailed notes myself. Or you could write down quiz questions for yourself while you read to quiz yourself later. I know it must be difficult with OCD, but as said above, you're not meant to remember everything in every textbook you read, just main points. And you don't need to know things word for word from the book(well, sometimes). Usually being able to describe things correctly in your own words will actually make it easier to remember. Does your school provide any services to help you? Maybe you could talk with your teachers and see if they can provide you with a study guide for each chapter, or maybe you could see them during office hours to talk to them about what is most important for you to remember from the next reading assignment before it's assigned. That way you can highlight passages or pages that cover those points and only re-read those parts. I think you should try to make it a goal for yourself though, to finish a section or chapter before re-reading anything, so that you can get more accomplished. Quizzing yourself with review questions after you finish a chapter might make you feel more confident that you haven't forgotten everything. It's normal to forget some things, and it's okay to review those. I bet if you manage to trust yourself and give yourself chance, you'll do a lot better than you think. :)
Last edited by forever_lost : 23-04-2013 at 05:15 AM.
Giving up doesn't always mean you're weak.
Sometimes it just means you're strong enough to let go.
I will try to resist the urge, but I need to know as much as humanly possible for this exam.
I cannot make notes and when I tried to make questions, I got 218 questions for a 10 page chapter.
I will try your techniques and update you all soon.
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
That is a lot of questions! Is there a study guide for the exam, or someone you can talk to who's taken it before? Perhaps ask the professor what you should concentrate on? Vocabulary words are always a good place to start. Good luck!
Every day the world is made a chance to change but i feel the same.
And I wonder why would i wait till i die to come alive?"
All alone the way she feels
Left alone to deal with all the pain-drenched sorrow relief
If have too many questions, you could try and make one question for every paragraph or I dunno, maybe the chapters are divided into smaller chapters that you could try to ask 1 or 2 questions for each?
Ask only for the main info, not for every detail?
You survived the abuse.
You're gonna survive the recovery.
I had my sertraline increased on Monday this week, which I think is beginning to help as my anxiety has decreased and I'm able to study with a bit less checking.
My optimal study method is to read through all my textbooks, handouts etc. Then highlight things and scribble notes in the margins. I don't make proper notes as that doesn't work for me. I also get diagrams and print them out large as I have a visual memory.
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
