Does Labeling Your Sock Drawer Mean You’re OCD?

Recently I labeled my sock drawer. My daughter laughed hysterically. “What? Are you going to forget they’re socks?” I know, it sounds sick, but there’s a method to my madness. What once was a jumble of knee-highs, athletic socks, and hose in various states of disrepair is now a tidy collection of wearable foot coverings. The lesser-worn items are in sequestered in Ziplock bags, and handily labeled. I will never again have to search for ‘those black tights I know are in there somewhere’.

You may be like me, well-adjusted and highly organized. Or… You could be OCD. According to the Mayo Clinic Here are the signs and symptoms:

Fear of contamination or dirt
Repeated doubts
Having things orderly and symmetrical
Aggressive or horrific impulses
Sexual images
Fear of being contaminated by shaking hands or by touching objects others have touched
Doubts that you've locked the door or turned off the stove
Repeated thoughts that you've hurt someone in a traffic accident
Intense distress when objects aren't orderly, lined up properly or facing the right way
Images of hurting your child
Impulses to shout obscenities in inappropriate situations
Avoidance of situations that can trigger obsessions, such as shaking hands
Replaying pornographic images in your mind
Dermatitis because of frequent hand washing
Skin lesions because of picking at the skin
Hair loss or bald spots because of hair pulling
Washing and cleaning
Counting
Checking
Demanding reassurances
Repeating actions over and over
Arranging and making items appear orderly
OCD symptoms involving compulsions may include:
Washing hands until the skin becomes raw
Checking doors repeatedly to make sure they're locked
Checking the stove repeatedly to make sure it's off
Counting in certain patterns

So no, I’m going to say that labeling your sock drawer does not fall under the umbrella of OCD. Just don’t open an umbrella in your closet – or next to your sock drawer!