In short, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a mental health disorder that is often described as a “disorder of doubt.” The criteria for OCD mainly include two parts that are in the name: obsessions and compulsions.
Obsessions include intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that are often unpleasant and lead to increases in anxiety. Obsessions are usually unpleasant, unwanted, and the person has little control over them. Obsessions can vary widely in terms of content, which is why there are so many subtypes, including contamination (fear of germs or getting sick), harm (fear of hurting self or others), moral scrupulosity (fear of doing something immoral or offending God), or just right OCD (fear that something bad might happen if you don’t do something “just right”).
Compulsions are behaviors that follow obsessions and are done with the intention of relieving the anxiety associated with obsessions. Like obsessions, compulsions can vary widely from person to person, and can be external behaviors that other people can observe, or they can be mental actions. External behaviors can be neutralizing actions, such as handwashing as in contamination OCD, avoidance behaviors like refusing to use knives as in harm OCD, or trying to pray perfectly as in moral scrupulosity OCD. Mental compulsions can look like self-reassurance, for example telling yourself “I know that this bad thing isn’t going to happen” or distracting yourself by making yourself think other thoughts.
Very often, obsessions lead people to doubt themselves, others, and/or their safety, which can lead people to seek certainty. In a lot of ways, it makes sense to try and seek certainty if you are feeling a strong sense of doubt, and people with other kinds of anxiety may be reassured and can move on with their day. But with OCD, these kinds of worries might go away for a little but are not satisfied with reassurance for very long, and soon obsessive thoughts return. In fact, reassurance makes OCD worse in the long-term, and can lead to complex, time-consuming rituals meant to neutralize obsessions and start to interfere with your ability to live your life.
If you’re reading this and concerned about whether you might have OCD, know that you have options! There are treatments available that are very effective for OCD, and it is possible to no longer meet criteria for an OCD diagnosis after participating in treatment. I encourage you to talk with your primary care physician or search for a therapist specializing in OCD near you. I highly recommend the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) as a helpful resource for learning more about OCD, and they have a therapist directory. Of course, if you live in New Mexico, set up a consultation call to see if I might be a good match for you.
Resources:
Disorder of doubt: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/and-how-does-that-make-you-feel/202502/ocd-and-the-paradox-of-doubt
IOCDF website: https://iocdf.org/
Common Subtypes of OCD: https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/subtypes-of-ocd/
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