Escape the Prison of your own Mind.
What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a long-lasting disorder in which a person experiences uncontrollable and recurring thoughts (obsessions), engages in repetitive behaviors (compulsions), or both. People with OCD have time-consuming symptoms that can cause significant distress or interfere with daily life. However, treatment is available to help people manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.
OCD feeds off of perfectionism, the very thing our success-driven culture values and encourages. For some, the intense pressure to do things "just right" can contribute to ritualistic behaviors, such as excessive checking or sanitizing. And for those with purely obsessional OCD (Pure O), the compulsions are internalized as they attempt to neutralize troubling thoughts with other thoughts.
Obsessions
Obsessions are repeated thoughts, urges, or mental images that are intrusive, unwanted, and make most people anxious. Common obsessions include:
Fear of germs or contamination
Fear of forgetting, losing, or misplacing something
Fear of losing control over one’s behavior
Aggressive thoughts toward others or oneself
Unwanted, forbidden, or taboo thoughts involving sex, religion, or harm
Desire to have things symmetrical or in perfect order
Compulsions
Compulsions are repetitive behaviors a person feels the urge to do, often in response to an obsession. Common compulsions include:
Excessive cleaning or handwashing
Ordering or arranging items in a particular, precise way
Repeatedly checking things, such as that the door is locked or the oven is off
Compulsive counting
Praying or repeating words silently
What does OCD Therapy Look Like?
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT):
CBT is a type of talk therapy that helps people recognize harmful or untrue ways of thinking so they can more clearly view and respond to challenging situations. CBT helps people learn to question these negative thoughts, determine how they impact their feelings and actions, and change self-defeating behavior patterns. CBT has been well studied and is considered the “gold standard” of psychotherapy for many people. CBT works best when customized to treat the unique characteristics of specific mental disorders, including OCD.
Exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP):
Research shows that ERP, a specific type of CBT, effectively reduces compulsive behaviors, even for people who do not respond well to medication. With ERP, people spend time in a safe environment that gradually exposes them to situations that trigger their obsession (such as touching dirty objects) and prevent them from engaging in their typical compulsive behavior (such as handwashing). Although this approach may initially cause anxiety, creating a risk of dropping out of treatment prematurely, compulsions decrease for most people as they continue treatment.
"People who live with OCD drag a metal sea anchor around. Obsession is a brake, a source of drag, not a badge of creativity."
— David Adam,
What living with OCD can feel like.
Alone & Don’t Belong
Living with OCD can be isolating, as intrusive thoughts, compulsions, and rituals are often misunderstood. Individuals may feel ashamed or embarrassed, leading them to hide their struggles from others out of fear of judgment or rejection (Bhattacharya & Singh, 2015).
A recurring experience among individuals with OCD is a deep sense of being different—isolated by thoughts and rituals others can’t see or understand (Bhattacharya & Singh, 2015).
This internal divide can create a sense of alienation—of living in a world where one’s mind constantly imposes rules and doubts that others don’t seem to face.
Loss Identity
Intrusive thoughts and compulsions often conflict with our values and identity. Over time, this struggle can cause individuals to question who sense of self and values.
Hopeless
OCD often leaves individuals feeling powerless (Bhattacharya & Singh, 2015). Despite knowing their thoughts are irrational, the intense anxiety makes resisting compulsions feel impossible. This cycle can create a sense that the disorder is in control, eroding confidence and fostering feelings of helplessness.
Shame
Intense guilt, as individuals often feel responsible for intrusive thoughts that go against their values. Even though these thoughts are unwanted, they may blame themselves, leading to shame and distress that fuel the OCD cycle.
Common Stigma & Misconceptions
It’s just about being overly cleaning, washing your hands and organizing.
The Truth: While a fear of germs or contamination is one type of OCD, it manifests in many different ways. Obsessions can involve fears of causing harm to loved ones, forbidden thoughts, or an obsession with symmetry. Compulsions aren’t completed because you WANT to, but you HAVE to. You believe you NEED to.
It’s not a big deal, everyone one is a little OCD.
The Truth: While many people can have obsessive or compulsive traits, people who are diagnosed with OCD cannot simply “turn it off.” Research has shown that their brains are wired differently than the brains of people without OCD, and as such OCD strongly influences their thoughts and actions.
People with OCD just need to control their thoughts or "snap out of it."
The Truth: OCD cannot be overcome by willpower. OCD changes an individual’s brain structure and intrusive thought patterns. These automatic, involuntary thoughts compelled to perform rituals to end the distress.
Individuals often are aware these obsessions aren’t rational. Often people with OCD often want to stop, but despite repeated efforts continue complet
Frequently Asked Questions
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Not always. Many people with OCD hide their compulsions afraid of being judged, ridiculed or given unhelpful advice.
Shame & stigma, leads many to conceal, avoiding talk about their obsessive thoughts and only engage in compulsions either in private or in a very discreet manner.
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No, OCD is a disorder that has a clinical diagnosis and effective treatment options. A person with OCD can recover, be fully functional and not suffer from this disorder.
While many with OCD will experience symptoms over their life, effective treatment can allow them to live rich rewarding life fully without it compromising their day-to-day lives.
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No, Fact: OCD does not have a single, clear cause.
Many people with mental illnesses also have a history of trauma. However, it is essential to point out that trauma does not inherently causeOCD. Furthermore, there are many individuals with OCD who do not report any history of childhood problems.
Experts have not identified a single or exact cause of OCD. Like most mental illnesses, the symptoms and risk factors appear to be multifaceted. That said, research suggests that OCD may involve communication problems between the front part of the brain and deeper structures in the brain.
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American Psychological Association
NOCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder: When unwanted thoughts take over. (2010). PsycEXTRA Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1037/e620122011-001
Singh A, Anjankar VP, Sapkale B. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): A Comprehensive Review of Diagnosis, Comorbidities, and Treatment Approaches. Cureus. 2023 Nov 17;15(11):e48960. doi: 10.7759/cureus.48960. PMID: 38111433; PMCID: PMC10726089.
“It’s like you have two brains— a rational brain and an irrational brain. And they’re constantly fighting.”
- Emilie Ford
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