Obsessive Compulsive Disorder...a Gift?--or a Curse?

One of my favourite shows is Monk. It's about an OCD detective, Adrian Monk, whose condition is a result of the traumatizing death of his beloved wife. He can't stand to shake people's hands, his house is all symmetrically organized and dust-free, he can't stand walking in the mud or getting his clothes dirty, and he wears the same straight-laced shirt and jacket outfit for every day of his life. He is also a former cop and a brilliant detective. Since he has a multitude of phobias and odd habits, he always has an assistant to give him a sanitary wipe whenever he touches something likely infected with bacteria or to do his literally "dirty work". His disorder is so comically severe that he was discharged from his position as a police officer and just works as a "private consultant". At the end of each case, he says "here's what happened..." Pretty epic. :)

The show has, I believe, finished, and my family owns roughly up to the 7th season. Some of the humour is a bit corny, and Adrian Monk probably doesn't win any appreciation from hormonal girls, but I still find the cases to be pretty clever...definitely more thought-inducing than that soap opera-like garbage in the OC (I still have no idea why that was so popular--or House...) Each episode is a mystery where Monk works with his friends in the police department to solve unsolvable cases. This seems to be the obvious common thread with all the detective-y stories: Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, The Mentalist, House, etc. I actually find the Monk cases pretty interesting because it really causes you to think outside of the box. Another element about the show that makes it extra enjoyable is the fact that the show has a modern setting, the story is understandable to the common public, and they present all the clues so it's possible for audiences to ACTUALLY guess the criminal before they're revealed. After watching about 6 seasons of Monk, I find that I'm getting more used to the style and am often able to guess the endings, but the show still has not lost its appeal just yet.

Another interesting thing that the show has brought to my personal attention is that I have a lot of habits that parallel the OCD symptoms.

1. When I'm nervous or kind of spaced out (e.g. during a movie) I tend to type words that I hear. WEIRD, I know!

2. Sometimes when I'm walking up stairs or between sidewalk slabs, I count the number of steps I took and make sure it is an even number.

3. When I'm eating a dish with multiple things in it, I make sure that I have a mix of all the different tastes in my mouth at once. Perhaps this contributes to my somewhat speedy eating speed. I also leave a little bit of my favourite thing to eat last. I guess this habit tends to linger more on the normal end of the spectrum.

4. I generally like symmetry and taking even numbers of things (e.g. adding ice cubes, cooking ingredients even if it's slightly more than what the recipe calls for).

5. Whenever I add skill points to my character in a game (e.g. Mafia Wars), I like to make my levels all even numbers or multiples of 5/10.

Anyways, just wanted to share a little bit more about my strange habits and a bit of info about one of the few shows that I am interested in. If you do decide to check out an episode or something, don't be outraged if you don't take to it for a few episodes. :)