Do blind people suffer from OCD?
This short article is to explain why I believe that the answer to the question I pose is yes, but only in a light and practical form.
For all of you who only read the headlines and are now assuming that I amclaiming that all blind people are also OCD you are totally mistaken. What I am stating is that blind people adopt OCD tendencies to help them make their lives easier.
Speaking for myself, and that is really the only person I am qualified to speak for, I like everything to have a place and to be in that place so I can find it easily. If somebody has moved an object, even just a few inches, it can be very difficult for me to find. I realise that in most cases this is not deliberate and that they have only moved the object because it was in their way at the time but it can be very irritating if I am trying to find it later.
Though I have been moving objects into specific places for my convenience for quite a few years now it was only yesterday that I realised it was quite necessary for me to have items in a set place, even in an unfamiliar apartment. The positioning of items has to be logical and relate to usage patterns such as the coffee the kettle and the coffee mugs should all be together in one tight region similarly thee washing up liquid, the tea towel, and the sink should all be in arms reach of each other. There is nothing more annoying than getting halfway through a process and finding 1 of the items is not in its correct position, it stops the whole flow.
I do this when I am cooking, I get all the ingredients out, except those that have to to be kept in the fridge until the final moment, and place these ingredients in order of usage. Not sticking to this ritual can lead to frustration and lack of concentration, and in a kitchen environment this could be quite dangerous.
When I remarked on this phenomenon to my carer she remarked that most people she has worked with who are visually impaired or blind do the same kind of thing but not to the extent that I do. Though she supplemented this remark with the fact that they also did not attempt to do most of the things that I did.
My OCD light also spreads to my position of my computer and associated gadgets and paperwork. My reasoning is that there has to be some order in my world or I will never find anything again. Worst of all is that if I have positioned anything close to the edge of a table and it falls on the floor there is more chance of me standing on it before I find it.
If you do have this OCD light then embrace it as it will save you a lot of frustration, and if you do not well I suggest you do implement such strategies as it will make your life a lot more bearable.
