I'm seeing this gradually increase. Often it has to do with picking up trash. If we're walking the dog, or on our way to/from the gym. First he would just pick up the odd plastic bottle or can in our path, but increasingly he'll spot one across the street and feel compelled to wait for traffic to clear so he can go get it. Today, he picked up a random cardboard spool in the mall parking lot despite there being no trash can in view.
Not that trash picking up is a thing which should be, in general, discouraged, but I am seeing how these little "must do" things are gripping him lately and don't let go.
Another one is he can't ever go through a doorway before someone coming the opposite direction, so often we get these face-offs if the other person is also inclined to defer passage. He'll just stand there holding the door until the other person caves.
Also we cannot pass people on our walks with a simple greeting exchange. He seems to have to stop, and turn to face the person squarely as if we're now obligated to have an in depth conversation.
He cannot pass a cute child and just smile at it. He has to stop, and with the blank geezer-grin, step to right near the kid and stare. As if the kid would like that. (the kid won't)
All of these sound like pretty typical symptoms, from everything I've read. And every time I'm interviewed as part of the longitudinal study, I'm asked whether my husband is exhibiting any signs of these symptoms.
The only one that is beginning to show up so far, is that he is becoming more fascinated by children. Not to the point the parents suspect he's about to steal the child -- so far, they're delighted with his compliments. I make a mild fuss over the child, too, get a firm grip on my husband, and steer him away.
My husband is also obsessive-complusive - I have the cleanest den carpet! If he sees anything on the floor, he picks it up, no matter how tiny. He wasn't this way before AD. My daughter and I smile every time he gets out of his chair to pick up something that we can't even see! Small sticks in the yard - he's got to get them. also, my forks and spoons are stacked in the drawer now. And if we move a pillow on the couch, he'll move it back. Heaven forbid if I use the shreader - because he IMMEDIATELY has to empty it! Just enjoy!!!
As for children, if they are under 6, they look at him and he looks at them and they "high five" each other! WIthout ever saying a word! It's almost as if they are in mental contact!
As for holding doors open, he has always done that. However, he is an introvert, so he doesn't have conversations with strangers. (I do!)
Yes, I have often heard about obsessive-compulsive behavior in relation to AD. We must always remember that AD is a total brain disease, and considering how complicated the brain is, the possibilities for odd behavior must be endless.
My DH was known for his borderline obsessive/compulsive behavior before the disease, but so many lawyers are that we never thought much about it, but it has gotten much worse in often funny ways! My DH not only stacks the forks, spoons, etc. in the drawer, he stacks the small spoons opposite from the larger ones, the salad knives opposite the dinner forks, etc. This is totally a new thing, started about 3 months ago. And when my daughter or I unload the dishwasher, we've noticed he waits about an hour, and then does the opposite stacking thing when we are not looking(because we don't). And the young children thing MUST be a symptom, my DH points at small children, smiles and waves at them. Fortunately, we usually only see a lot of children at our church, and they don't seem to mind, but when he does it in elevators at the medical center, he tends to stare. Now that I think about it, he points and then stares at adults too, but usually only ones he knows....he also points and waves at the birds and squirrels, and doesn't like it when I kill roaches (which you do a lot of in Texas). He says I should pick them up and take them outside...... bizarre, bizarre, bizarre. On the positive side, he LOVES the Zoo, so we make sure he goes weekly!
Texasmom, my husband was putting cockroaches outside of our houston home 50 years ago. That was better than putting them down the disposal which grossed me out. We finally found that spraying them with a mixture of detergent and water clogged their spiracles and killed them in a little non-staining puddle.
My husband doesn't like our RI zoo, but I do and am there weekly - my getaway. We have a lot of special needs people come through (they get in free) and they certainly love it.
I first noticed the obsessive thing about six years before DH was finally diagnosed. We were moving, and the last night in the old place, when I went to bed around midnight DH was scrubbing the kitchen floor. When I got up the next morning, he was still scrubbing the kitchen floor. He had actually worn all the skin off his knees, he had been doing it so long. He told me he was having trouble getting the floor clean.
This was totally unlike his usual behavior, and it scared me silly. But there were a lot of strange episodes between then and finally getting a diagnosis. In some ways the diagnosis was a relief, because we finally knew the name of our “enemy”.
Yes...obsessively pickin up lint, pieces of fuzz on the carpet, a crumb on the counter. And trash when we walk. I guess it's good for the environment. Here is another thing that drives me crazy...obsessive toothpick use. Aahhhh (picture me as that guy in the painting "The Scream" but with great shoes on)
Mine does toothpicks too. I pointed out that the cat might get hurt eating one, so now he carefully wraps each toothpick in at least one napkin before throwing it out!! We go through SO MANY napkins!!
Boy the more I read here the more I learn. My DH has (in my opinion) always been obsessive. Picking up lint or a crumb on the floor or counter, lining up cushions on the sofa after I had placed them at angles! Bathroom towels have to be in a line. There was one time my towels weren't absolutely straight and he straightened them. I told him this wasn't the movie "Sleeping With the Enemy". Maybe they were all signs of what was in store. I wonder if the doctors and neurologists know about this. It seems like the people in the trenches are more aware of what goes on with AZ
My DH started by picking up small bits of lint and crumbs off the rug or floor (and with 2 dogs there is always something to pick up), but now he picks up imaginary things. He sometimes asks me if I want something he has in his hand...but there is nothing there!
My DH was obsessed with his watch. He was constantly adjusting the time and forgetting how to do it. Made many a trip to WalMart where a very kind jewelry department always assisted (or at least he said they did)
Silly me, at times I actually get "lulled" into thinking maybe the diagnosis was wrong and then I read something in these posts that has been going on for quite a while and I know it's AD. Picking up every little bit of lint etc.etc. on the floor, obsessive toothpick use. Strange behaviors but part of the disease.
My husband is at the stage where I can tell him he is obsessing (on a thought or a subject) and I can tell him he needs to "change the channel in his head" and sometimes he can. Or sometimes I help him by changing the subject. I'll tell ya, working in the schools as a speech therapist with young children has given me some good skills to draw on for this challenge. The "toothpicking" I pretty much have to accept :(, drives me nuts. Especially from someone who used to be so meticulous. He also can obsessively watch the hummingbird feeders. Drives him crazy if other birds try to drink from them. He goes and frightens them away, like a living scarecrow. I cried the first time he did that. Now I figure at least it's something for him to do.
Oh yeh,the toothpick thing.My DH always had a toothpick in his mouth(or was dropping them on the floor) One day I was walking in stocking feet and somehow--I stepped on one just so and it flipped up on end and went right through my toe.Hubby said I should have been wearing shoes.I NEVER BUY TOOTHPICKS ANYMORE.
My hubby has no teeth--no toothpicks. He used to stack all his cigarette buttsa like cordwood in the ashtray, until finally dumping they. Anyone else who smoked had to stack theirs too. Now, he's limited to smoking on the front enclosed porch or in the garage. Now the cooled butts go in a baggie until the full bag gets trashed.--Yes I know he shouldn't be smoking, but with learning disabilities and mental illness mixed in with his VaD, He knows himself as a smoker, and if not permitted to smoke in controlled conditions, he'll take off to go get them himself. He isn't all this steady on his feet, generally won't use his walker, seldom will mus his cane, walks 3-4 blocks up and back, crossing a 5 lane street, to get them. He's been known to sell a $300+ chainsaw for $12 to buy cigarettes; hitch a ride from a stranger to get home; go after them in a blizzard, etc. Sometimes we have no good choice to pick from.
Lloyd's thing was single shoes tucked under his arm, dirty socks, and putting favorite little things in his pocket like a little Swarovski crystal golf bag and a HotWheels golf cart. FLgirl, he used to hand me nothing, too. I would just take it, say "thanks" and put it in my pocket.
My DH will go outside and pick up leaves and pine straw. It will be one leaf on the top of the bushes and he picks it up. Of course right now there are tons of leaves on the ground and pine straw. He will have a handful and go to the trash can and stand over it and take one at a time out of his hand and put it in. I will tell him to leave the ones in the bushes or certain areas but he will not stop. He has started taking his pants pockets and turn them inside out and pick lint out and drop it on the floor. It really kills me, he doesn't want the leaf on the ground, put does not mind dropping lint on the clean kitchen floor. He is so obsessive about so much now. He spends time in the closet sorting through things that he had in a box and on his shelves. He says he is cleaning things out, but nothing ever goes away. He puts cards and notes from our girls when they were little all over the counters and shelves. The problem with this is it creates such a mess he cannot find anything.
He also messes with the 2 watches he has. One beeps when you set it. That goes on for days. While he tries to set them, I have to repeat what day, date, and time it is over and over and over. It still is never correct. He will argue that today is Saturday when it could be Tuesday, because his watch says Saturday. Then he has an IPad that we got him. He cannot use it. He does know how to get into the sounds in the settings. Then he proceeds to click on each sound for hours.
Mine has this habitual habit --- He continually scratches the thumb with the index finger ....now if that isn't distracting enough he's doing it with both hands at the same time. This is a very strange but compulsive behavior! Has anyone else's spouse doing this?
Yes, the OCD stuff is really nerve-wracking. My DH has all kinds of repetitive habits. He constantly is clicking his fingernails to the point where they are jagged and break off. He is a definite clock watcher. If I tell him we're going to eat at a certain time, he constantly tells me how many minutes until we eat. Or if we need to go somewhere it's the same thing. I try To wait until the last minute to tell him when or where we're going or the countdown will go on forever. He won't let me rest to take a nap. He talks to me the entire time and keeps asking if he should wake me up or how will I know when to wake up. He's also obsessive about taking walks which has caused a safety issue, especially since he walked into a house a few months ago and told the owner her child was cute! He's been on Zoloft for about four months now to see if it helps the OCD behavior but so far no luck. We see his psychiatrist this week and I need to discuss this more with him. I send my DH to day care five days a week just to escape these behaviors.
My DH washes his hands over and over and over. Also wants everything in order. If we are in a store he's obsessive about the stuff on racks, wants them orderly. If on floor will pick up. In a restaurant he wants to clean table before we leave. It is getting worse all the time.
Elaine K, Yikes, mine clicks and clicks his fingernails to the jagged point too. It's never ending...he has been doing this strange behavior for years now. And watching his watch continually as well. The watching the clock doesn't bother me, but the continue sound of the clicking is most annoying. Also, saving junk....old bounce less tennis and golf balls, screws of the sidewalk or street, bricks laying at a construction site....you name it he saves it.
Yeah, my DH really watches his watch, wants it to be right with other clocks. I've told him he needs to get a job straightening clothing store racks, he can't stand if they're not. Or a busboy in restaurants, wants to clean the tables.