Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a long-lasting mental health disorder in which a person experiences uncontrollable and recurring thoughts (obsessions), engages in repetitive behaviors (compulsions), or both.

These are characterized by:

Obsessions: These are unwanted, intrusive, and distressing thoughts, images, or urges that repeatedly enter a person’s mind. Common obsessions include fear of contamination, fear of harming others, or needing things to be symmetrical or in a specific order.

Compulsions: These are repetitive behaviors or mental acts that a person feels driven to perform in response to the obsessions, often in an attempt to reduce anxiety or prevent something bad from happening. Common compulsions include excessive hand-washing, checking locks, counting, or arranging items in a specific way.

Four Types of OCD

While all types of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) include a pattern of obsessions and compulsions, the obsessions or intrusive thoughts, OCD manifests in four main ways: contamination/washing, doubt/checking, ordering/arranging, and unacceptable/taboo thoughts.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can be debilitating because the obsessions cause significant anxiety, and the compulsions can take up a lot of time, affecting daily life, work, or relationships. The person often recognizes that their obsessions are irrational but feels powerless to stop them. Treatment usually involves therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), particularly a form called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and sometimes medication.