Autism? Anxiety? Or both?

I honestly think I maybe have more than being diagnosed with… but at the same time I don’t want more diagnosis because the autism one changed my life some for good some bad and I’m still trying to get to know myself now and I don’t think I could take having other things to try and explain to myself… some days I feel like they got it wrong and I don’t actually have autism I’m just a bit odd and it was my fault I couldn’t function the the social norms yknow 

That’s the only thing I’ll do 3 with. Odd numbers just don’t feel right if I’m eating something there has to be 2 or 4 never 1 or 3 it just feels wrong. 

It’s not that it’s missing I can see it’s there it’s the fact that it’s locked it’s like my brain tricks itself in to thinking in the last 3 seconds I didn’t have my hand on it it’s magically unlocked itself or that I didn’t lock it in the first place. I can feel it’s locked but it’s like my brian is saying no it’s not it’s not locked check it again if it’s not locked you’ll get broken into check it. Do you get what I mean? and the same with the hob that terrifies me in case I’ve left it on and something blows up

Hiya. 
It does certainly sound like it could be an OCD type behaviour. You can most definitely have OCD and Autism as I’ve been diagnosed with both. 
I think it’s difficult to see where one stops and the other starts as I feel like I’m extremely routine driven but also have compulsions of repetitive or timed behaviour that I have to carry out. 
I think anxiety does always come into the mix with things like this as repetitive behaviours can be quite self soothing.

if you’re worried about it, talk to your GP. If it doesn’t bother you and you feel it’s just a quirk then leave it. There is medication can that help OCD, as well as specific therapy, so I guess it all depends on how much it impacts on your life and whether you’re happy to continue to do it. 

In my case it’s shopping not door handles. If I’m going round a supermarket I often feel that I have to buy a multiple of 3 items I.e. 0,3,6 etc items and I will buy something just to get the required number of items.

I used to go to a school of philosophy and there was / is a religion / philosophy (Zoroastrianism?) which believed the number 3 had special properties. I used to have a booklet about it which I don’t think I ever read (or if I did read it I don’t remember) but I seem to have thrown it out or misplaced it at some point unfortunately.

I imagine there is varying levels of ocd. The dr really shouldn’t shrug it off if you tell them it’s something that is bothering you, and maybe it doesn’t bother you right now, but it’s work noticing if it progresses any further and if it does become more of an issue for you.

And to answer your question no I personally haven’t done this. I will sometimes get out of bed if I think I’ve forgotten to lock the door or left the hot water on,  but that’s usually because I have. So I’d just get up and deal with it once and go back to bed. 

andi said:

Like people who have OCD to such an extent they simply struggle in day to day life it must be so hard for them but I feel like that wouldn’t fit me

Remember these are both spectrums so you may have some of the traits at different levels to others.

If you feel you are behind a door with the door knob missing then learn to carry a spare knob and connecting bar - let nothing stand in the way if you put your mind to it. It probably won't be easy mind you.

andi said:

I’ve done a little research but it sounds like you can’t have both?

https://psychcentral.com/autism/ocd-and-autism

Autism and OCD can occur together. It’s estimated that 17% of autistic people also have OCD

It just makes you even more special

I think they’d just shrug it off as my anxiety. It’s just doors and hobs that get me rattled. I personally feel OCD is an extreme in my case. Like people who have OCD to such an extent they simply struggle in day to day life it must be so hard for them but I feel like that wouldn’t fit me because it doesn’t feel extreme I was just wondering if anyone else was doing this as well and that I wish I could just check once and be happy about it lol  

I never used to have this issue that I can remember it’s only as I’ve gotten older 18 or so that it’s been like this. I’ve done a little research but it sounds like you can’t have both? I personally feel OCD is an extreme in my case. Like people who have OCD to such an extent they simply struggle in day to day life it must be so hard for them but I feel like that wouldn’t fit me. I was diagnosed at 17 (just before I turned 18) with autism because I was struggling with everything that autistics generally do, the social stuff, the need for routine, my emotional responses to things, the “robotic” persona sort of thing. My college orginally thought I was ADHD. But the OCD behaviours I don’t recall cropping up in my assessment. It started when I got my GAD diagnosis. But it’s just doors being locked and the hob being off that’s the only thing that I get so worked up about. 

andi said:

does anyone else find that they cannot relax/got to bed without checking everything a certain number of times?

sounds like OCD to me - the compulsion aspect is more than just the repetitive behaviours that come from autism.

This diagram explains the overlap:

The that sounds more like OCD to me. I’d maybe ask your doctor about it.