Anyone else have an issue with people moving their things?

[Jemina]

I've suffered with OCD for years, but something I've noticed in particular that always gets to me is when other people move, or take, my things without my permission. I have to rearrange everything back to how it was before and clean it all thoroughly whenever anyone does that. I can handle it if they at least ask permission first and I know they're doing it. But when I just come back to my things to find it's all been moved is when it's worse. To me it feels like they've invaded my personal space and I really don't like that.


Does anyone else feel the same way? How do you combat people doing that and learn to cope with that happening?

 

[Pandora]

I also have the same problem. It doesn't bother me when they ask, it's just when they don't ask. I feel like they are getting into my personal life and I don't like when people get to close to me. However, I do have children and when they were younger I could handle it. Now that they are older I have a hard time with them using my personal items. I have told them several times that I don't use their personal items why do they use mine. We all have come to an agreement that we all will ask to use something before we use it. I know I am talking about younger people but, it might help you. Just ask the other people that are involved with your situation to ask first. Sorry I couldn't be much of help but, it might work?

 

[shcoo]

My mother would enter my room when I was a teen and "dust" all of the surfaces, then put things down wrong. It was always very very upsetting and gave me no sense of stability. I am quite orderly now but if I had party guests over or something and they moved things, I would not be upset. I would just fix it the next day during clean-up. However, if it was a chronic issue and a roommate kept using or moving my possessions, I would be distraught.

 

[lexinonomous]

My boyfriend moves my things around the house on a day to day basis. It is one of the most annoying habits he has. I get incredibly angry when I can't find my things and they aren't exactly where I left them. I will get pretty upset, even if the thing I am looking for was left in a pile of junk. I know that my things can be left in awkward places, but I call it a disorganized mess. He will move my things and try to find proper spots for them prior to me organizing my items. I end up losing so many things because he doesn't remember where he put them. I don't see the point in moving something to a better place, unless you are going to remember where you put it. It gives me anxiety trying to find something that I need for the day, not even knowing where to begin.

 

[ineedmystrength]

I really hate other people moving my things, unless I give them express permission. (Even then, I get aggravated if my stuff doesn't get from point a to point b in the way I want it). I especially get angry and anxious at the airport. For some reason, having my bag searched by the TSA gives me sweats and panic attacks so bad I have to medicate to stop them. It doesn't matter that I can see what's happening, I still hate having my stuff touched and moved by random people. I think of a million ways to avoid bag searches so far ahead of my flights that I often end up forgetting things that I need, if only so strangers won't touch my things.

 

[EdmondA]

My coasters are placed in a certain pattern on my coffee table in the living room. I know in my rational moments that of course the coasters will be moved as they are being used. I keep the mounting frustration to myself until the guests leave, at which point I must undergo a cleansing ritual, and then I ceremonially replace the coasters into their positions. I really want to break free of this compulsion, it has begun bleeding into other areas of my life.

 

[Laneorexorcist]

I don't have an OCD diagnosis, but I'm extremely... organized? when it comes to my things, the things in my room always have to be in a certain way and I know when someone entered into my room because I know my things, and I share the feeling, it's reallyannoying, why they just didn't ask for anything?


But I didn't haveother reactions more than anger at the time, but after moving my things where they are spoons to be, I get really calmed, and it's okay, I think that my reaction is not worthy of a mechanism to manage it...

 

[Jean Thomas]

I hate when people move my things. Some of my worst memories as a child was when my sisters would move my things around or throw my dolls carelessly.


I am very attached to my items and it gives me comfort when all my things are neatly in place. They don't have to be neat- they just have to be in a spot that I chose to place it.


So when someone moves it I will go nuts.

 

[Alex]

This is one of my pet peeves and I can tell when someone has touched something. When I shared a house it was much harder but most people knew not to touch anything unless I was there. My mother is the worst;she moves everything and then forgets where she put things. In the end I told her off, so now she doesn't touch things as much, but dad hides things from her so she doesn't touch things and move them. She moves things all of the time still, but as long as she hasn't thrown it out (which she used to do) I just make her find things for me now. Then as it takes so long she then promises never to do it again!

 

[JoshSmith]

I literally cannot stand when people move my things. The problem is though that my room is a terrible mess but the thing is that I know exactly where things are in that mess because it is my mess. When people start moving things I cant find them and start to get anxiety. I also mostly feel the need to place things exactly where they were because I feel like I might suffer some bad luck if I dont.

 

[gracer]

I also hate it when people move or touch my things without my permission especially when I look for them and I couldn't find them just because somebody moved them somewhere else. I easily forget most of the time so I need my things to be put where they are usually placed so I could easily find them when I need them.

 

[pwarbi]

Many people, even those that haven't been diagnosed with OCD will hate it when their things have been either removed or rearranged as I think we are all possessive over our own personal belongings. If you do have OCD though it can make life almost unbearable as order and having everything in a set place where you know where it is, is one of the most important parts of your life.


I've never suffered from OCD but I know a person who has and they get upset when people tell them to just relax a little because for a person who doesn't know what it's like that's easier said than done. He even says himself that he knows what he feels about having certain things in a certain place is ridiculous and he sometimes wishes that he could simply relax as he knows how stupid he looks to others but his OCD is part of the way he is and so he has to accept that. Telling a person with OCD to relax is about as useful as telling a person with depression to cheer up.

 

[greeken]

I don't feel like I have to clean them, but I stress about my "stuff" all the time. It sucked the past little bit when we had to live with some friends for 6 months and i only had access to half of it while the other half was at my aunt's. Constant stress all the time

 

[hades_leae]

I've suffered with OCD for years' date=' but something I've noticed in particular that always gets to me is when other people move, or take, my things without my permission. I have to rearrange everything back to how it was before and clean it all thoroughly whenever anyone does that. [/quote']
I think I just made a similar post talking about how I need things to be specific, and perfect to my liking. It irritates me to see things out of order, which originates in my mind. I don't know if I can say my problem starts when people rearrange my stuff, but I notice the little small things like if you were to spread my salt shakers apart, I have to go put them closer together because it's irritating to see them like that. So, I guess my situations is a little different.

 

[Moroccanbeauty2266]

I freak out when someone takes my things without asking me first.


My husband likes to move our furniture around every couple weeks and


this really frustrates me. I remember one time, a couple years ago, I had a very important binder that had all the writing tasks I was working on at the time and I was gone for a couple hours. When I came back I noticed all the furniture was moved around and the worst thing was I could not find that binder anywhere. I was so pissed.


Eventually, I did find it but still it just means a lot of stress to me to have to go through all of that. If people would leave my things alone I would not get that much anxiety.


I don't touch anyone's things either.

 

[DDNatureLover]

I've never been diagnosed with OCD, although I know for sure that I have obsessive and compulsive tendencies. I've worked hard over the years to keep my thoughts and also my behaviors in check, so things don't get out of control. Actually, in reading that back, it made me laugh, because it seems I have OCD about having OCD. I grew up in a very controlled household, and chafed under the lack of ability to control things. Because I had a lack of control during those years, I think it's become even more important to me as an adult, to set limits and boundaries. I was involved in a very volatile relationship at one point, because he constantly tried to control me, my behavior, my speech, my circle of friends, etc. I don't have many ritualistic behaviors, but I do tend to get agitated when I feel my boundaries have been crossed, and moving or taking my things without asking first is a big no no to me.

 

[rz3300]

Well I pretty much just assumed that everyone had an issue with this, but I guess it probably is the case where I am a little worse than most people. I think that it might be even worse for me because I am pretty messy, and my memory is terrible, so I am often confused as to whether someone moved it or I moved it or if I lost it, so you have that on top of frustration about it being moved or missing. I think that it is similar to the things not going as planned scenario, where the little disruptions take more a toll than normal.

 

[ricemaster214]

Yes, it bothers me so much when people move things. I put things in certain places for a specific purpose. I become furious and extremely disturbed when they move them without asking especially. If they ask, I usually argue with them until they give up and decide not to further the argument and leave me alone.

 

[sidney]

Yes, it does bother me when people re-arrange the things that I have fixed, since I don't want them re-arranging it because even if the table seems in disarray, I actually know the exact spot of those items that I left on the table or cabinet, so it bothers me if someone were to come and re-arrange them. My mom fixes my things when she was alive, and I certainly did not like it.

 

[DDNatureLover]

I think some of the things that bother me the most are when the items are of importance, such as car keys. Where I live, I have to drive everywhere, so I specifically keep my keys in my purse, so I know where they are at all times. I figure this way, if a fire or other emergency occurs, I can grab my purse and go, at the drop of a hat. If someone moved the keys from my purse, I would be extremely upset, because of course my mind would start going to the what ifs, what if there had been a fire and I hadn't been able to escape, or if someone was hurt because I'd been searching for my keys, instead of evacuating. I tend to keep multiples of some commonly used items around, so it's not as critical if someone moves those items. I keep paper and pens in every room, so if I get a thought, I can write it down. I keep bottles of water upstairs and downstairs, so if I or someone else gets thirsty, we can just grab a bottle, and the same with toilet paper, paper towels, toiletries, etc. I don't mind so much if someone moves or uses those types of items, but I do get angry if someone uses them up without telling me, then we have to do without.