Signs and Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Introduction

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by unwanted thoughts and repetitive behaviors. People with OCD may look for reassurance or order in their lives and feel compelled to complete certain tasks, even if they don't feel like doing them. For example, they might repeatedly check the door to make sure it is locked or wash their hands over and over again until they are red raw.

Repeating routine tasks out of sync.

• Repeat the same thing over and over again, even though it's no longer needed.

• Do the same thing at the same time every day, even if you're not feeling like it.

• Do something in a specific way (e.g., fold all your clothes exactly in half).

• Do something in a specific place (e.g., your bed)

Constant double-checking of work, doors, appliances, and/or locks.

• Checking locks is a common symptom of OCD.

• Anxious about leaving doors unlocked, you might check each and everyone before you leave the house.

• Checking to make sure that your stove is clear of any debris before using it, or checking the oven temperature before putting food in toaster ovens and similar appliances.

• Checking to make sure you have all of the items listed on your grocery list at home, even if they are already there in your refrigerator or pantry cabinet (and sometimes even if they're not).

Checking in on loved ones excessively to arbitrary standards.

• Checking in on loved ones excessively to arbitrary standards.

• Constantly checking on yourself or others.

Hoarding of seemingly useless items.

Hoarding is a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and it can be triggered by any of the following:

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Dementia

Excessive cleaning or hand-washing.

• Excessive cleaning or hand-washing. The need to clean or wash hands is a common symptom of OCD, even though it's not related to food or water contamination.

• Obsessive thoughts and fears about germs. People with OCD often have intrusive thoughts (e.g., "I'm going to get sick if I eat in front of her") that they believe are true despite evidence to the contrary (e.g., "I have never gotten sick before"). These intrusive thoughts cause significant distress—and may be followed by compulsive behaviors such as hand washing (which can lead into other forms of avoidance behavior).

Organizing things “just so” and getting agitated if someone else moves your things.

Organizing things “just so” and getting agitated if someone else moves your things is a common early signs of OCD. OCD sufferers are often very organized, which can make them feel more secure by making sure that everything is in its place. However, this need for order can make it difficult for people with OCD to adapt to change or new situations.

Organizing may also be an attempt at avoiding anxiety by making the person's environment safe through absolute certainty (a "perfect" environment).

Feeling driven to take action to prevent a bad outcome (e.g., rushing frantically to the hospital after a premonition that a loved one has died).

If you have OCD, you may feel driven to take action to prevent a bad outcome. For example, if your doctor's office is closed on Saturday and it's a holiday weekend, the only way for you to get into the building is by breaking into it—and that's what would happen if they didn't open up.

You might also feel dread about something happening in the future (e.g., getting sick). Or perhaps you think that someone close has died or will die soon—and this feeling causes an urgent need for help from others because he or she is still alive!

Cataloging thoughts that are upsetting, often sexual or violent in nature, and trying to suppress them through compulsive actions (e.g., praying or counting).

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder that involves recurrent, unwanted thoughts and/or persistent behaviors. People with OCD may experience anxiety when these thoughts or behaviors are triggered.

The main symptoms of OCD personality disorder include:

• Recurrent obsessions are intrusive and tend to last at least 4 weeks; these obsessions involve fear about something bad happening to you or someone else if you don’t do certain things. Examples include doubting whether people will like you, fearing contamination by germs in public places, being afraid of losing control over your body because it happens too often (such as when someone touches your face), having strong urges to wash your hands over and over again even though they aren't dirty or contaminated in any way…etc.

• Compulsive actions taken out of compulsion rather than with purposeful planning such as hand washing might become overwhelming sometimes leading them into doing things like counting backwards from 100 before bedtime so they can fall asleep easier which may cause sleeplessness due to worry about bad dreams occurring while asleep...

If you think you have OCD, see a doctor

If you think you have OCD, see a doctor. It's important to get help because OCD can be treated and prevented if caught early enough. Your doctor will want to talk with you about how long the symptoms have been present, what they feel like and when they happen most often. The doctor might also ask if there are other things that make it hard for you to control your behavior or thoughts—like anxiety or depression—and whether any of those things make controlling obsessive thoughts more difficult; this could be another reason why OCD might be present in some people who don't seem to show signs of it by themselves.

If your doctor thinks that an evaluation for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is warranted but doesn't find anything unusual during their routine physical exam, then he or she may refer us back into our regular practice environment where we would meet regularly over time until we felt comfortable enough with each other's presence so as not cause any harm should anything go wrong during these meetings due either from lack thereof knowledge regarding proper procedures followed by staff members themselves or simply because we weren't able yet to work out certain details about how best manage such situations efficiently enough before moving onto another topic entirely."

Conclusion

If you have OCD, it’s important to get help. The sooner you seek treatment and treatment options, the better equipped you will be for managing your symptoms and getting back to living life as normal.