What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

OCD is a serious mental condition that can disrupt many important parts of a person’s life. Hallmark symptoms of the disorder are obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are repeated thoughts, images, or urges that are unwanted and distressing, and compulsions are the time consuming behaviors a person engages in to try to get rid of the anxiety caused by obsessions. Despite these compulsions, the worries return along with the anxiety.

Often people with OCD say that symptoms interfere with work/school, socializing, and personal relationships. Over time, the worry from obsessions usually increases and the compulsions typically become more elaborate and time consuming. The obsessions may cause worry about many different things, and the content of these worries may change. Compulsions may be physical (e.g. washing, arranging, tapping) or mental (e.g. counting, mentally reviewing a situation) in nature.

I provide expert care in treating OCD with Exposure Response Prevention, a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that is very effective treatment for OCD. In my practice, I have had experience treating all sub-types of OCD and have a particular clinical focus on treatment of sexually intrusive thoughts (e.g. worries about being a pedophile, worries about sexual orientation) and harm obsessions (e.g. worries about harming self or others, intrusive violent thoughts/images).

When people think about OCD, they often think about excessive hand washing, having to have everything in a straight line, or extreme organization. It is also common to hear “OCD” as a way of describing someone who is a bit fastidious or detail oriented. This limited depiction of OCD can prevent people from realizing they need treatment and can minimize the pain and suffering OCD causes.

While some of these behaviors and traits may be true for someone with OCD, there are many other ways in which OCD can show up in a person’s life. In fact, research has shown that symptoms typically show up across some main themes or categories:

• Contamination fears with washing compulsions

• Worries or chronic doubt about having caused harm with repeated checking/reassurance seeking

• Thoughts or images that are experienced as violent, immoral, or unacceptable with avoidance, mental compulsions, and reassurance seeking

• Concerns about symmetry, exactness, or needing things to be “just right” with ordering and arranging behaviors