Some thoughts on OCD

[atomic sagebrush]

I wonder if most/all "mental health disorders" are really more like extremes of a continuum...it seems to me like there is very little difference between my socially anxious self talk of "If I do everything perfectly and always have fresh tarragon on hand, then everyone will like me" and thinking "If I count to 73 that will keep germs away". They're both totally magical thinking, just a little different flavor.

[maidentomother]

Good point Lace. I can tell you (and it's pretty obvious looking at Europeans swaying or going HT), that in Europe there's a girl preference, too. Australia, as well. So basically Westernized cultures, though I'm not sure about Mexico/CA/SA. It's strange to me that it's so different in many ME/Asian countries! Although I think it's changing in some places. Certainly when there aren't enough girls to go around in China/India for the excess of boys who grow up, there will be some sort of reckoning. That won't be pretty.

[LacePrincess]

I wonder if most/all "mental health disorders" are really more like extremes of a continuum...it seems to me like there is very little difference between my socially anxious self talk of "If I do everything perfectly and always have fresh tarragon on hand, then everyone will like me" and thinking "If I count to 73 that will keep germs away". They're both totally magical thinking, just a little different flavor.

Well for sure. I mean with mental/mood disorders almost all behaviours can be just personality quirks - until it crosses the line where it's so extreme it interferes with being able to live a normal life. So individual behaviours aren't always an issue until they cross a line where it becomes dysfunctional.

[LacePrincess]

Good point Lace. I can tell you (and it's pretty obvious looking at Europeans swaying or going HT), that in Europe there's a girl preference, too. Australia, as well. So basically Westernized cultures, though I'm not sure about Mexico/CA/SA. It's strange to me that it's so different in many ME/Asian countries! Although I think it's changing in some places. Certainly when there aren't enough girls to go around in China/India for the excess of boys who grow up, there will be some sort of reckoning. That won't be pretty.

Oh there already is fallout! In China anyways, the current boy/girl ratio is something like 140/100, so the issue of men not being able to find enough women is already a big problem. This is a result from not only traditional gender preference but combined with the one-child-policy, on top of the ability to selectively abort due to gender. So yeah the fallout is already happening now and it'll only get worse in the next few decades.

The grand irony of course being how xenophobic Chinese adoption policies are, because some of us would dearly love to adopt baby girls, especially since I'm ethnically Chinese it would be a great solution for me. But it is extremely difficult to adopt internationally now. Sigh.

[maidentomother]

They make adoption so stupidly hard. Speaking of adoption, it shows the Western cultural bias for girls most strongly; the vast majority of those adopting prefer girls. The recent IVF studies demonstrate a girl bias too. It's clearly there.

I had no idea the male excess was an issue in China already (I don't watch the news)...and now I'm scared to find out more, eeek.

I've always thought all mental illness is on a spectrum so many people have some degree of tendency without being full blown dysfunctional. What's so interesting is that every type of mental illness, in moderation, can or did provide an evolutionary benefit.

[LacePrincess]

They make adoption so stupidly hard. Speaking of adoption, it shows the Western cultural bias for girls most strongly; the vast majority of those adopting prefer girls. The recent IVF studies demonstrate a girl bias too. It's clearly there.

I had no idea the male excess was an issue in China already (I don't watch the news)...and now I'm scared to find out more, eeek.

I've always thought all mental illness is on a spectrum so many people have some degree of tendency without being full blown dysfunctional. What's so interesting is that every type of mental illness, in moderation, can or did provide an evolutionary benefit.

It's so true - adoption is PAINFULLY hard. And expensive!!

I just watched a documentary on Netflix last night called "It's a girl" which is about gendercide in India and China. About how girls are just not 'good enough'. I often feel like we have that discrimination in reverse in North America, though of course not thankfully to the degree of infanticide or selective abortion. But still, we are so gender biased against boys it really drives me insane. Things like this article don't make it any easier AT ALL:

The Economist explains: Why girls do better at school than boys | The Economist

Articles like this one just PISS ME OFF and is full of soooo many unfair gender stereotypes against boys I just want to rage and scream. I feel like in North America us boy moms are constantly fighting the fight against this ridiculous notion that all boys are hyper creatures who have no attention spans or book smart intellects and aren't good for anything but rough and tumble sports and videogames. It just makes me SO ANGRY!

[1+2+3boys]

Very interesting thread that I can certainly relate to in more ways than one. All I have to say for now is ADHD, that's me (without the H but that is what they call it now)

Oh and Atomic I can sort of understand your comment about you changing and then getting your girl. I really think a pink sway could have been succesful for me but that chance has passed for now and I'm a bit more back to my old ways. I'm just too scared to try yet as it will be my last. Luckily I have time on my side.

[Pbn3]

Hi sorry to crash your thread but this bought back many memories from my teens and twenties. My (what ex's/friends described as) ocd tendecies was more a balance thing. Example.. if I stretched a finger on one hand I'd have e to stretch the opposite hands finger, if I touched cracked pavement with one foot would have to touch next crack in same place with other foot etc etc it was weird but whatever happened to one side of my body I felt like it had to happen to the other side lol. Happy to say these days I rarely notice it but on the odd day I find myself doing it. That and everything and I mean everything had to be straight and lined up on my work desk. Work colleagues used to comment on it and for fun push something out of place!!

[maidentomother]

I couldn't read the whole article but I've always hated public education amd felt it ill suited for most boys. One of many reasons I plan to home school until high school age. Especially if I have boys.

I hate that we have such a narrow view of 'success' in modern society. Life shouldn't be about getting perfect test scores/certain status jobs, etc.

[mommymachine]

I couldn't read the whole article but I've always hated public education amd felt it ill suited for most boys. One of many reasons I plan to home school until high school age. Especially if I have boys.

I hate that we have such a narrow view of 'success' in modern society. Life shouldn't be about getting perfect test scores/certain status jobs, etc.

I homeschool and that is one of the (many, many!!) reasons why we decided it is best for our family.