Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental illness where someone has ongoing unwanted or intrusive thoughts and fears that cause anxiety. People with OCD have obsessions (for example, unwanted thoughts about dirt and disease, terrible things happening, sex, violence, or religious themes) and compulsions (overwhelming urges to do activities such as cleaning, checking, counting or praying).
The compulsions make a person with OCD feel (briefly) less guilty or anxious about their unwanted thoughts, which often disgust or horrify them. The obsessive thoughts can be quite overwhelming, while compulsions can take up hours of a person’s day. OCD can come and go, and the symptoms can get better or worse over time. Some of the types of OCD include checking, contamination/ mental contamination, symmetry and ordering, intrusive thoughts, and hoarding.
A diagnosis of OCD can only be made by a doctor or clinical psychologist. If you notice any of these symptoms and they are affecting your daily life, you should seek help. OCD can be treated effectively with psychological treatments (talking therapies) and, in some cases, medication.
