Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

You might try to get rid of them by performing a compulsion or ritual. These obsessions typically intrude when you’re trying to think of or do other things.

OCD compulsions are repetitive behaviors that you feel driven to perform. These repetitive behaviors are meant to prevent or reduce anxiety related to your obsessions or prevent something bad from happening. However, engaging in the compulsions brings no pleasure and may offer only a temporary relief from anxiety. You may also make up rules or rituals to follow that help control your anxiety when you’re having obsessive thoughts. These compulsions are often not rationally connected to preventing the feared event. OCD can respond very well to therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence based treatment for this condition.

OCD is estimated to affect more than 2 percent of U.S. adults at some point in their lives, and the problem can be accompanied by other conditions, including anxiety disorders, depression, and eating disorders. It typically first appears in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood.