OCD
Individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder are driven to repeatedly think certain thoughts and perform certain behaviors. The obsessions cause significant distress and the compulsions serve to reduce anxiety. People experience varying degrees of the symptoms of OCD. Some only suffer from obsessions, while others only suffer from compulsions. About 90 percent report suffering from both obsessions and compulsions. For someone with a severe case of OCD, the obsessions and compulsions will cause marked distress or impairment and may take up a significant amount of time (more than one hour) each day.
The most common themes of obsessions involve dirt and contamination, religion, aggression, sex, and doubt. For example, a person with OCD may be preoccupied with visions of dirt and germs and may not be able to stop these disturbing thoughts. Another example would be a gentle, nonviolent person who experiences recurring thoughts of losing control and harming someone. The person realizes that the obsessions are a product of his or her own mind and attempts to suppress them or neutralize them with some other thought.
There are two main types of compulsions: overt, or behavioral, and covert. Common overt behavioral compulsions are cleaning and checking. An example of a compulsive cleaner would be someone who continuously scrubs everything in sight, including himself or herself. Examples of covert compulsions are mental strategies, such as thinking happy thoughts or visualizing certain images to neutralize distressing obsessions. Compulsions are performed in an attempt to relieve anxiety, though they have little effect on the person 's anxious state.








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PAC is not a substitute for a doctor or therapy. If you're feeling suicidal please contact your doctor or local crisis team right away.