I have quite severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, and when it flares up, I can hardly do anything.
For electronic products that I just bought or that are very important to me, it's easy to feel that their condition has become unacceptable. The most common situation is seeing dirt or fingerprints, and then endlessly wiping them with wet wipes and cloths. I almost never use the built-in keyboard on my Mac because it easily gets fingerprints, and I find myself needing to wipe it multiple times a day. However, this is generally manageable; I usually can't help but wipe it about twice a week, and since I can clean it, it provides some relief. Another situation that is harder to alleviate is dents or marks that cannot be removed. Previously, I had stickers on my computer, and at that time, I thought it would personalize my computer. But after a while, I started to dislike that state and insisted on tearing the stickers off. Although the stickers didn't leave that kind of residue that can't be cleaned, they still left marks from where the stickers had been. This often makes me feel uncomfortable, and next time I get a new computer, I definitely won't put any stickers on it.
Another scenario that easily triggers my OCD is when I can't use my most commonly used ID. The ID "hyoban" is one that I randomly combined to avoid triggering the "ID already in use" situation on various platforms, but it still encounters duplication issues. After racking my brain to come up with a unique ID for this platform, seeing that ID again after a while still makes me uncomfortable. Sometimes I can convince myself not to think about it anymore by using reasons like if I change the ID, some links will become invalid. But more often, I think about how to come up with a new ID that is close to the original and looks pleasing to me. Once this scenario occurs, I get trapped in it and can't break free, reaching the limit of how many times I can change the ID on the platform.
Other scenarios that make me uncomfortable include: repeatedly washing my hands with hand sanitizer; endlessly feeling like the door isn't closed properly or isn't locked; endlessly organizing things (moving from A to B, then from B back to A); once I think about trimming my nails, I cut them all off, then feel uncomfortable because my nails are too short; constantly installing and uninstalling software, and feeling annoyed because I think the software can't be completely cleaned (when using Windows, I often have to reinstall the system in less than a month). These things generally don't bring me any valuable results, and I feel tortured during the process of doing them.
In most scenarios, I can free myself by consciously stopping, such as deliberately not using a phone case, allowing my phone to quickly become worn, which helps me ignore those tiny appearance issues. But there are some scenarios I still can't fully cure, such as not being able to use the same ID in different places. I can't find a "reason" to accept this situation, nor can I choose an ID that, while different, I can still accept. In these times, I generally have to force myself to do something I really don't want to do to forcibly switch my state.
Generally speaking, if I have something major to focus on or if I'm with others, symptoms of OCD almost never appear. Conversely, if the situation worsens, scenarios that normally wouldn't trigger OCD can also make me feel uncomfortable.
Written on a night after being tormented by OCD for several hours.