Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
OCD is the continual experience of unwanted or intrusive thoughts and worries that cause anxiety. A person may know these thoughts are trivial, but they will try to relieve their anxiety by performing certain rituals or behaviors. This may include hand washing, counting, or checking on things such as whether or not they’ve locked their house.
OCD Test 1
OCD Test 2
Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder-OCD
If you have OCD, you'll usually experience frequent obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours.
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An obsession is an unwanted and unpleasant thought, image or urge that repeatedly enters your mind, causing feelings of anxiety, disgust or unease.
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A compulsion is a repetitive behaviour or mental act that you feel you need to carry out to try to temporarily relieve the unpleasant feelings brought on by the obsessive thought.
For example, someone with an obsessive fear of their house being burgled may feel they need to check all the windows and doors are locked several times before they can leave the house.
Read more about the symptoms of OCD.
Getting help for OCD
People with OCD are often reluctant to seek help because they feel ashamed or embarrassed.
But there's nothing to feel ashamed or embarrassed about. It's a health condition like any other. It doesn't mean you're "mad" and it's not your fault you have it.
There are 2 main ways to get help:
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refer yourself directly to a psychological therapies service – find a psychological therapies service in your area
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visit your GP – your GP will ask about your symptoms and can refer you to a local psychological therapies service if necessary
Support groups
Living with OCD can be difficult. In addition to getting medical help, you might find it helps to contact a support group or other people with OCD for information and advice.
The following sites may be useful sources of support: