Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
About 1.2%-2.3% of the population has some form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
It is a disorder which makes you feel compelled to act out certain rituals repeatedly, even if you don’t want to — and even if it complicates your life unnecessarily.
Obsessions are the worrisome thoughts that cause anxiety. Compulsions are the behaviors you use to relieve that anxiety (Source: OCD: Symptoms, Signs & Risk Factors by Ann Pietrangelo).
OCD mainly affects women.
Common obsessions include:
- anxiety about germs and dirt
- need for symmetry and order
- concern that your thoughts or compulsions will harm others
- worry about discarding things of little or no value
- disturbing thoughts or images about yourself or others
Behaviors that stem from these obsessive thoughts include:
- excessive washing, disinfecting and cleaning
- continually arranging and reordering
- checking the same things over and over
- hoarding
- counting or repeating a particular word or phrase
- performing a ritual
