Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: exhausted
  • Music: Kelly Clarkson, "Stronger."

A small footnote about dealing with people with OCD.

...or at least, dealing with person with OCD.

It's no secret around here that I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; I manage it on a daily basis, and I do a pretty good job. It's why I can accomplish as much as I do, given how little time I have. But it does mean that some things are non-negotiable for me, even as I politely tell people that they don't have to do them.

One of those things is responding to comments.

Sometimes, when I get overwhelmed, kind and concerned and loving people try to grant me comment amnesty. "You don't have to answer this." BUT I DO. I answer comments because I have to answer comments, or I literally cannot forget that I have left them unanswered. It may take me a long time. I may answer so far in the future that you've forgotten commenting. But unless I was the one who said "comment amnesty" (and sometimes not even then), I can't leave the majority of comments unacknowledged.

(This came about, ironically, because someone got very very very angry at me for not answering comments, and left me with a terror of being screamed at again.)

So please, don't tell me I don't have to answer you. That will just stress me out more, and move answering your comment to tell you that I do so have to answer higher up my priority list.

This has been another day of Seanan, living with OCD. Have a cookie.

ETA: Because I apparently wasn't clear: I love comments. I enjoy answering them. What stresses me out is other people trying to declare comment amnesty on my behalf. I can't process that, and so it just makes me unaccountably tense and unpleasant. So please, comment as normal. Just don't try to tell me I don't have to answer you, 'cause really, I do.
Tags: from mars, medical fu, shameless plea
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  • 86 comments

grassrose

March 15 2012, 02:32:29 UTC 5 years ago

Bless your heart! I have an irrational reaction to forced multitasking - if both phone and real life require my attention at the same time (my husband trying to get my attention while I'm listening to someone on the phone), I get a surge of total rage... weird. My reaction is to say to one or the other, "Hold on just a second", but there's that initial freaky freakout.

I hope it's not too rude that, after reading your post, I looked at the 50+ comments and wondered if half were from readers and the other half your replies :o)

Okay, okay, I'll wander off, now. *wanders off, munching cookie*

pbristow

March 15 2012, 13:20:52 UTC 5 years ago

"I have an irrational reaction to forced multitasking - if both phone and real life require my attention at the same time (my husband trying to get my attention while I'm listening to someone on the phone), I get a surge of total rage... weird. "

Ooh, I get that! Have to really bite my tongue and wait and see which one gets a clue and shuts up first, so that I can then politely interrupt the other one, explain the problem, and then probably reward the "got a clue first" person by dealing with them first, unless their issue requires serious attention and the other one is a simple "talk to person X about that/ask me tomorrow".

seanan_mcguire

May 5 2012, 16:11:00 UTC 5 years ago

Nah, it's not rude at all. I think I actually have about a 40% reply rate, since I don't always answer anything below first tier replies (replies on the actual entry, not replies to replies).