is ocd or my own personality??????

[Audi]

hi i posted similar thread about watches a few times over here........but somehow i feel that my this thought is back again.................hi i am a watch lover and i love luxury watch....i started with preowned watches.... but i notice my requirement for the watch condition is geting higher and higher... for example ...i am able to accept tiny scratches on the watches if its not too serious scratches...and slowly i found my obsession is geting worse to worst.... sometimes i have intrusive thought trigger and disallow me to get watches even with olny most minor scratches. my instruvsive thought wants me to get watch with perfect and scratcheless condition.... its is suffocating as i love buying preown as its is much cheaper compare to brand new.......

yesterday the worst happened..... i am planning to buy a brand new condition watch from another seller...all the the protective sticker are intact. its totally like brand new..his price compare to brand new in the shop different is almost 8000dollars .. he only worn once in the shop while trying the watches and the rest of the time the watch is usually keep in his safe in the house..... suddenly i have a intrusive thought ..... the thought came in and disallow me to buy...." the reason is he worn before although its only one time and the watch contacted with his wrist...and there might be germs or whatever things...'' i felt suffocated suddenly when this thought came in..... i seriously dont know how to explain....and i keep having urge to sell away my other watches which i purchase preowned from other seller and purchase a brand new set in the shop....i trying to control my this urges as i know i will spend a few thousands dollars for nothing.... but my mind just dont think this way....... i felt very terrible.... i keep telling myself not to give in to my this obession and complusive ....i tried convinve myself that even the brand new watch in the shop might being also worn by customers for trying.....so no pointy wasting extra money getting it........ please advise... should i give in and get a brand new set.... i seriously dont wanna give in.... because i dont wan to spend extra money for nothing.... but i just cant control my thoughts.



i do not have any clean ocd or ocd regards to germs or dirt.... and i am not a fussy watch buyer ...dont understand wad happen to me now.....

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi Audi,

Well giving in will be complying with the obsession and acting out your compulsions which are very costly with your theme. So, resisting is very important for you. A big reason for why it is so important for you to resist the compulsions is something you have already mentioned - that the new set may have been worn by people in the shop. You won't ever know that so in the future will your obsession turn to the new set and raise the same question so that you need another new set? And then will the cycle just repeat itself again?

You tried to challenge the thoughts, good work there, by stating that any new watch may have been worn to the same extent as this one you are considering buying. Your subconscious won't agree with you, that takes time to change, so you can expect it will fight you over this.

I wonder if this obsession has intensified the closer you have come to buying the watch? You must have wanted to get it initially because you like it. So, is this an element of the fight or flight response responding by introducing complications? By coming up with potential risks that you need to avoid? Avoiding those risks will reinforce their value to your subconscious.

If you buy the watch, what is the worst that will happen? That you will suffer anxiety for a short period over it? Or when you get it will you also feel some happiness too? If your anxiety settles down and you start to enjoy your watch, it will likely add this new watch to the other anxious concerns over watches you already own but can't you handle that because you already do?

Has your current life become more stressful than normal? Is this a likely reason to feel more anxious about making this new financial commitment?

If you are able to commit to this, and because you actually wanted it anyway, then going ahead is not giving in, it's not avoiding. It will potentially mean some more anxiety for a time, but won't that reduce?

It's hard to suggest exposure methods with this theme and likely needs an OCD specialist therapist because exposure may mean purchasing? It may just mean being in the presence of scratched watches, maybe even your own? Maybe a therapist would have you looking at pictures of the new ones in the presence of your watches or with pictures of your watches? I'm not sure, but whatever it is, it needs to challenge what is underpinning this perfectionism.