Completing drawings

Usually I think I don't have the 'stereotypical' aspects of OCD and that my symptoms are more unusual and most people wouldn't realise I have OCD.

But today something happened in a meeting that was obviously recognisably OCD, I think, and I wanted to mention it here.

In the meeting I noticed that my colleague had drawn several arrows with triangles for heads and she had coloured in all the triangles except the last one. Once I noticed this, I couldn't stop looking at it and thinking about it. I literally felt like I was going to have a panic attack if it wasn't coloured in. I was so panicky and I even contemplated leaving the room. I kept thinking 'I can't colour it in, can I? That would be weird'. But after 10 minutes of feeling awful about it I grabbed the paper off her and coloured it in, right in the middle of the meeting. Luckily she knows I have OCD and found it hilarious, but I'm not sure I've ever felt that panicky before!

I'm assuming this has to be OCD, right? I've had similar things before, occasionally, but I've never felt quite this bad about it. Does anyone else have similar symptoms?

-- Wed Jan 27, 2016 6:42 pm --

I've just remembered my 'just right' OCD and the need to touch things with both hands, feet etc or it feels wrong. I'm guessing it's a similar thing here? Like a need for completeness.

In both cases I have anxiety and compulsions, but no intrusive thoughts. I don't think something bad will happen if I don't do them, it's just that the feeling drives me mad.

This sounds like you always need to have things completed and if they aren't you get anxious and panicky, right? I don't have experience with this but to me it sounds like a part of OCD and I'm pretty certain other people have it, too. And even if no one else had it, it doesn't mean it can't be a part of OCD, I think. Some compulsions and topics are very common in OCD but that doesn't mean less common topics or compulsions can't be a part of OCD.

I hope what I said makes sense. English is not my native language so I might have made some mistakes leading to confusion or understood something you wrote wrong.

That story is funny and adorable
Obviously OCD

Thanks both! I agree it has to be OCD. And it was pretty funny! I was so anxious though. I know I was supposed to resist the compulsion but I couldn't.

Maybe she did that to tempt you so you could both get that laugh because of the boring meeting?

Hehe I don't think so. She doesn't care that much!

I've been thinking more about my need for completeness. I think I have further examples.

Once in counselling my counsellor presented me with an outline of a head. I had to draw an ear and eye and mouth on it to make it look complete.

If I write something, it's ok if I immediately put it away. If I don't, I keep looking at the letters and going over them to make the lines more prominent or something.

Maybe even the need I have to tell people all about everything that happens in my life is because I want them to have a complete picture of me?

I get very stressed if I don't do everything on my list. Sometimes my partner tells me I don't need to achieve it all, but I feel anxious if I don't. Maybe this too is because I have a need for completeness here?