Do I Have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a unique type of mental health issue that causes significant anxiety around irrational phobias for a person. According to the National Institue of Mental Health (NIMH), OCD is characterized by the presence of either obsessions, compulsions, or a combination:

1. Obsessions: Repeated thoughts, urges, or mental images that seem uncontrollable and cause anxiety. These thoughts, urges, or mental images cause a person to fear that they will “lose control” and act out the harmful ideas. Some common examples include:

• • Aggressive thought about oneself, loved ones, or others
  • Unwanted thoughts about taboo subjects or forbidden behaviors, usually going against one’s morals and principles
  • Preoccupation with cleanliness and a fear of germs or contamination
  • Need for things to be perfect, orderly, or symmetrical to feel relaxed

• 2.  Compulsions: Repetitive behaviors that are a person executes with the false hope of relieving anxiety. Often, the compulsive behaviors have no rational basis for solving problems, cause feelings of shame, and increase a person’s anxiety.

• • “Checking” compulsions, like repeated making sure that lights are turned off, a door is locked, or an appliance is turned off
  • Excessive cleaning or handwashing
  • Rearranging and reordering things in a particular way
  • Counting compulsions, like preoccupations with specific numbers or needing to complete mundane tasks a certain number of times before feeling “just right”
  • Thoughts can also be compulsive when a person tries to “think away” their bad or distressing thoughts