DEAR DEIDRE: Every time I leave my house, I have to turn around and check that I’ve closed it properly.
And then I go back and check it all over again. I’ve been doing this for 30 years – it’s an obsession. I don’t understand why I do it, or how to stop.
I’m a 43-year-old married man, with two children. I started obsessively checking the door, among other things, when I turned 13.
I also have to check that the gas is off several times, that I haven’t left my keys behind and that the windows are closed.
If I don’t do this, I feel panicky and unable to concentrate all day. I convince myself something bad will happen.
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I end up having to make an excuse and go home early from work to reassure myself. Please help me understand my behaviour and tell me how I can overcome it.
DEIDRE SAYS: You’re perfectly sane. This behaviour, obsessively checking things, sounds very much like a type of obsessive compulsive disorder.
This has blighted your life for too long. But help is available. My support packs on Overcoming Obsessions and Living With Anxiety will tell you who to contact.
Get in touch with anxietyuk.org.uk (03444 775 774), which has information abut this disorder.
It is also a good idea to make an appointment with your GP to ask about specialist counselling.