Not all thoughts are obesssions, and not all repetitive behaviors are compulsions.
Repeatedly checking on things (e.g., if the door is locked or the oven is off).Ordering and arranging things in a particular, precise way.Compulsions: Repetitive behaviors or thoughts to “get rid of” your obsessions and ease anxiety.Concern with having things symmetrical or in a perfect order (“just right”).Aggressive thoughts towards others or self.Unwanted, forbidden thoughts involving sex, religion and harm.Obsessions: Unwanted intrusive thoughts, images or impulses that cause fear, anxiety, etc.They will look for uncontrolled obsessions and/or compulsions that interfere with daily life: Only trained therapists can diagnose OCD, usually by observing and assessing a person’s symptoms. Some children who are genetically predisposed to OCD may develop symptoms following a streptococcal infection. People who have experienced abuse in childhood or other trauma are at an increased risk for developing OCD. Some research suggests genes play a larger role when OCD starts in childhood. Research shows that OCD runs in families, meaning people with a parent, sibling or child who has OCD are at a higher risk for developing it themselves. In fact, there are at least 1 in 200 kids and teens that have OCD. There are generally two age ranges when OCD first appears: ages 10-12, and late teens-early adulthood. OCD can start at any time from preschool to adulthood. OCD affects adults, adolescents and children of all races and backgrounds equally. Those with OCD may spend several hours every day focusing on disturbing, obsessive thoughts and performing behaviors or rituals to ward off the thoughts.Ībout 1 in 100 people suffer from OCD in the United States. The National Institute of Mental Health says obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common, chronic and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions) that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over. The International OCD Foundation offers answers to some common questions about OCD: Understanding what OCD really means can help clear up misunderstandings about the disorder and pay respect to the people who actually suffer from it. Some casually associate it with being “clean” and “organized.” But obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is much more complex. The term “OCD” and "obsessive-compulsive" has become a popular, even joked about, term.