Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (more commonly known as OCD) is a mental health problem where a person experiences unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that make them feel anxious or distressed. These distressing mental experiences are the “Obsessions” in OCD. Those with OCD also struggle with performing ritualistic behaviors, the “Compulsions”, which are behaviors performed with the goal of stopping the obsessions.
There is a lot of hope for those with OCD, as there are excellent modern therapies that people can use to make this painful problem better.
Information About Obsessive Thoughts
In popular media, people with OCD are often portrayed as having a fear of germs or as being overly organized/particular. While these issues are sometimes part of the problem, there are actually an infinite number of ways that obsessive thoughts can show up. The short rule of thumb in OCD therapy is this: if you can think about it, it can become an obsession.
Here are some common examples of obsessive thoughts that people often share in therapy:
- A fear that you will harm yourself or someone else
- A fear that you will blurt out something inappropriate
- A fear that you will cause something terrible to happen
- A fear that you will get sick from germs, chemicals, or animals
- Concern that you may do something religiously blasphemous
- Fear of saying certain phrases
- Focusing on certain numbers as “good or bad”
- Experiencing unwanted images, sounds, or music in your head
- Being intensely bothered by certain noises (chewing, breathing, etc)
What To Know About Compulsive Behaviors
There are some widely known OCD compulsions (also known as “rituals”) that are usually depicted in movies and TV shows. Common examples include extreme hand washing and turning things on/off repetitively. As with obsessions, these examples can be true for some people, but it only represents a fraction of the problem.
Compulsions can include any action that reduces the pain associated with an obsession. Compulsions can be obvious behavioral actions, but they can also be mental acts as well – such as thinking a good thought to cancel out a bad thought.
Here are some other common examples of compulsions that people often share in therapy:
- Avoiding objects that could be used to harm someone
- Checking appliances and locks over and over
- Counting things in certain patterns
- Tapping or touching objects in a special way
- Cleaning one’s self or environment non-stop
- Repeating phrases to stop bad things from happening
- Monitoring that things are OK/nothing bad has happened excessively
- Re-doing the same task over and over to make sure it is “just right”
If your particular obsession or compulsion does not appear on this list, that doesn’t mean you don’t have OCD. OCD can come from many different kinds of worries and compensating strategies. Talking about your concerns with a professional is an important step to figuring out if you have OCD.
