OCD?

[cattia]

Just wondering wether any of you feel that your Heath Anxiety is a form of OCD? I have often wondered whether I have OCD. I mean, my thoughts are very repetative, sometimes they feel as thought they are playing on a loop. I have a compulsion to seek reassurance, and at times I have engaged in repetative 'checking' of my symptoms, although this is less of a problem now than it used to be. I am just curious as to whether this is a different type of anxiety disorder or OCD? I don't suppose it matters much in the end, it is what it is. I have read a couple of books on OCD though and although they did not fit my symptoms exactly, I could very strongly relate to a lot of what they said.

[countrygirl]

I have been told by quite a few Dr's and therapists that health anxiety is a form of OCD as we obsess about our health - I also feel that I do have mild ocd symptoms generally as in I am exceptionally tidy and clean but not to point of it disrupting my life but I hate mess or clutter and I like everything organised and in control but do not have ocd symptoms that say make me wash my hands 10 times. I also would never eat anything that had fallen on the floor or with dirty hands etc so am sure this is mild ocd in everyday life.
Of course ocd is about control in our minds and one thing we can't control is our bodies/health so instead of washing my hands 100 times a day I worry and obsess over my body/health instead.
What do other think???
My health anxiety/ocd started in childhood after traumatic events to do with illness and lack of control.

[cattia]

This is interesting countrygirl, as I had a broken arm at the age of four nd had to spend two weeks in hospital. I also had three further fractures when I was older (all before the age of 11). I was very accident prone and always falling off my bike etc. I wonder if this might have contributed to it? Also when I was much younger, 8 or 9, I had rituals and if I touched anything apart from my toys once I was in bed I would have to get up and wash my hands, sometimes several times before going to sleep. I also used to have a fear that people had poisoned my food, or that I would catch AIDS from touching taps. In fact, looking back over my life, I have always been a complete head case!