What is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)?

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have persistent, upsetting thoughts (obsessions) and use rituals (compulsions) to control the anxiety these thoughts produce; most of the time, the rituals end up controlling them. For example, if people are obsessed with germs or dirt, they may develop a compulsion to wash their hands over and over again. If they develop an obsession with intruders, they may lock and relock their doors many times before going to bed.

Performing such rituals is not pleasurable. At best, it produces temporary relief from the anxiety created by obsessive thoughts. Some common obsessions include having frequent thoughts of violence and harming loved ones, persistently thinking about performing sexual acts to people they dislike, or having thoughts that are prohibited by religious beliefs.

While healthy people also have rituals, such as checking to see if the stove is off several times before leaving the house, people with OCD perform their rituals even though doing so interferes with daily life. Although most adults with OCD recognize that what they are doing is senseless, some adults and most children may not realize that their behavior is out of the ordinary.

OCD usually responds well to treatment with certain medications and/or exposure-based psychotherapy, in which people face situations that cause fear or anxiety and become less sensitive (desensitized) to them.

Everyone double checks things sometimes. For example, you might double check to make sure the stove or iron is turned off before leaving the house. But people with OCD feel the need to check things repeatedly, or have certain thoughts or perform routines and rituals over and over. The thoughts and rituals associated with OCD cause distress and get in the way of daily life.

The frequent upsetting thoughts are called obsessions. To try to control them, a person will feel an overwhelming urge to repeat certain rituals or behaviors called compulsions. People with OCD can't control these obsessions and compulsions.

For many people, OCD starts during childhood or the teen years. Most people are diagnosed by about age 19. Symptoms of OCD may come and go and be better or worse at different times.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a potentially disabling anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are characterized by an unpleasant complex combination of emotions often accompanied by physical sensations such as heart palpitations (arrhythmias or irregular heart beat), nausea, angina (chest pain), shortness of breath, tension headache, and nervousness. Symptoms of OCD can lead to generalized anxiety.

OCD can be debilitating, and is composed of two anxiety-related features: obsessions (undesirable, recurrent, disturbing thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive or ritualized behaviors).

An individual with OCD has intrusive and unwanted thoughts and repeatedly performs tasks to get rid of the thoughts. For example, individuals with OCD may fear that everything they touch is contaminated with germs, and in order to ease that fear, they repeatedly wash their hands. It is noted that these activities must interfere with daily function and quality of life before OCD is diagnosed.

The effects of OCD range from mild to severe. OCD can disrupt an individual's social life and relationships as well as their ability to work, make a living, or go to school.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder occurs equally in men and women. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 2.2 million adults in the United States have OCD. About 80% of individuals who develop OCD show signs of the disorder in childhood, although the disorder usually develops fully in adulthood. Also, OCD is more common among people of higher education, IQ, and socioeconomic status.

Though its course is chronic and usually lasts a lifetime, it is treatable with medication, behavioral therapy, and, in extremely rare cases, brain surgery. Although symptoms can be alleviated with medications, OCD is not curable.

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People with OCD become preoccupied with certain persistent thoughts (obsessions) and use rituals (compulsions) to control the anxiety these thoughts produce. For example, if you’re obsessed with germs, you may develop a compulsion to sanitize the kitchen counter over and over again. If you’re obsessed with neat handwriting, you may copy a letter over many times before being satisfied with the results. People with OCD sometimes feel the need to repeatedly touch, count, or check things (such as the kitchen stove, to make sure it’s turned off). Their obsessive thoughts and rituals may interfere with their daily lives.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by obsessions (distressing and intrusive thoughts, worries, or urges that are involuntary and occur repeatedly) and compulsions (ritual behaviors that a person uses in an attempt to feel safe and decrease anxiety). The most common obsessions involve persistent thoughts of becoming contaminated, having neglected to do something (such as turn off the oven), having done something terrible (such as harm someone), or needing to have objects in a particular order. Aggressive impulses and pornographic thoughts are also common. Compulsions can include handwashing, repeatedly checking something (for example, that the door is locked or that the stove is off), or mental acts such as praying, counting, or repeating words.

People with OCD have obsessions, compulsions, or both for more than an hour a day. These thoughts or actions often cause significant distress and can interfere with the individual's ability to function at work, in relationships, or in any normal routine. Unlike children, many adults with OCD eventually realize that their obsessions or compulsions are unreasonable. But their attempts to eliminate the compulsive behavior usually fail because doing so causes unbearable anxiety. Obsessions and compulsions can be so distracting that an individual can't concentrate on normal tasks. Although the symptoms are driven by a desire to do something perfectly, their force often derails the person's ability to even complete a task.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a type of mental illness that causes repeated unwanted thoughts. To get rid of the thoughts (obsessions), a person with OCD does the same tasks over and over (compulsions). For example, you may fear that everything you touch has germs on it, so you wash your hands over and over again.