Thirty-six years later, my checking behaviour continues—only it’s no longer brat pack centrefolds that consume me. Checking is a common OCD ritual, right up there with counting, tapping, cleaning, and handwashing. It’s also what people often, mistakenly, think all forms of OCD look like. In the US, nearly one in 100 people suffer from OCD, with about half of those cases being severe. In Canada, 1 percent of the population will experience an episode. I am one of these Canadians. I lose hours of every day to various checking rituals—making sure my bathtub tap isn’t dripping, or my hair straightener is off, or my apartment door is locked.