top of page
  • Black Facebook Icon
  • Black Instagram Icon
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube

WHAT IS OCD?

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder that affects up to 2.3% of the population. Individuals diagnosed with OCD experience unwanted recurrent thoughts, urges or images that cause marked anxiety or distress. In an effort to reduce anxiety or distress, individuals with OCD engage in behaviors called compulsions or rituals.

​

PREVALENCE

  • OCD typically emerges between the ages of 7-12 years old or in late adolescence/early adulthood.
     

  • OCD can affect any person regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or nationality.
     

  • Current estimates suggest that approximately 1 in every 100 adults has OCD and at least 1 in 200 children have OCD. This amounts to roughly 2-3 million adults and 500,000 children.
     

  • The prevalence of OCD is likely under-estimated due to low self-reporting and lack of awareness of what symptoms qualify as OCD.

RELATED DISORDERS

  • ​Body dysmorphic disorder

  • Hoarding disorder

  • Body focused repetitive behaviors

  • Tic disorders

​​

​

ANXIETY DISORDERS

  • Separation anxiety disorder​

  • Specific phobia(s)

  • Social anxiety disorder

  • Panic disorder

  • Generalized anxiety disorder

  • Illness anxiety disorder

​​​​

OBSESSIONS

Obsessions are recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges, or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and unwanted, and that in most individuals cause marked anxiety and distress. The individual attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, urges, or images, or to neutralize them with some other thoughts or actions (i.e., by performing a compulsion).

​

Common obsessions can include:

  • Contamination

  • Perfectionism

  • Harm coming to oneself and others

  • Loss of control over one's actions

  • Unwanted intrusive thoughts, usually violent or sexual

  • Religious obsessions (also referred to as "scrupulosity"

COMPULSIONS

Compulsions are repetitive behaviors (e.g., hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (e.g., praying, counting, repeating words silently) the individual feels driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to a rule that must be applied rigidly. The behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing anxiety or distress, or preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviors or mental acts are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent, or are clearly excessive.

​

Common compulsions can include:

  • Frequent, excessive washing and/or cleaning

  • Frequent, excessive checking (e.g., that the door is locked, or that the oven is off)

  • Repeating

  • Mental compulsions (e.g., counting, praying,

  • and reviewing)

  • Frequent, excessive reassurance seeking (e.g., asking “Are you sure I’m going to be OK?”)

  • Avoiding situations that may trigger obsessions

  • Rumination (mentally reviewing intrusive/repetitive thoughts over and over again — e.g., re-visiting past events, repetitive mental looping)

How is OCD Treated?

bottom of page