What Are the Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

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Complications and Comorbidities

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A person with this condition will often experiencesymptoms of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. These symptoms range in severity.

This article looks at the most common symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder and how to recognize them.

Symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder can broadly be categorized into obsessions and compulsions.

In severe cases, symptoms of OCD are disruptive and can severely affect the quality of life of a person who has the condition.

What Are Obsessions?

Obsessions areintrusive thoughtsthat a person with OCD might experience and typically manifest in different ways for a person with the disorder. These thoughts often cause emotional distress and anxiety.

You might already be familiar with intrusive thoughts.For instance, an image of your car swerving off the road might pop in your head while approaching a difficult bend in the road. However, for people with OCD, these types of thoughts are persistent and disruptive. These thoughts vary from person to person and can be offensive or violent.

A person with OCD can also have several obsessions simultaneously.

Some common examples ofobsessive thoughtspeople with this condition experience include:

What Are Compulsions?

Compulsions

For instance, a person who has obsessive thoughts of causing harm to others might have a compulsion to check if the appliances in a house have been turned off before leaving the house several times.

Another example is a person who fears getting sick from contamination. They might wash their hands several times a day, trying to neutralize this obsession. However, they only get temporary relief after each time they perform the compulsion.

Compulsions could be physically manifested behaviors such as hand washing or mental compulsions such as repeated counting. Some common examples of compulsive behavior include:

What Is Repetition Compulsion?

Other Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Although obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors are the primary symptoms a person with OCD experiences, some people might also develop tics due to the condition.Tics are sudden and repetitive moments your body makes that are often beyond control.

Tic may manifest in different ways and can vary from person to person. While one person might experience head jerking, another might experience uncontrollable blinking. Other common tics include:

Some people with OCD might experience suicidal thoughts or suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know with OCD is experiencing suicidal thoughts due to the condition, it’s essential to contact your healthcare provider.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

While you can’t prevent symptoms of OCD, you can avoid behaviors that can aggravate your symptoms. For instance, drinking alcohol or not getting enough sleep could worsen the severity of your symptoms. In some cases, people with OCD might also develop other mental health conditions. Some of the most common disorders that have been found to co-occur with OCD include:

Psychological Therapy for OCD

Frequently Asked Questions About Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Here are some answers to some frequently asked questions related to OCD.

Treatments for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Brock H, Hany M.Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. In:StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; November 27, 2021.Subramaniam M, Soh P, Vaingankar JA, Picco L, Chong SA.Quality of life in obsessive-compulsive disorder: impact of the disorder and of treatment.CNS Drugs. 2013;27(5):367-383. doi:10.1007/s40263-013-0056-zCleveland Clinic.Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD): Symptoms & treatment.December 31, 2020National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).Obsessive-compulsive disorder.October 2019Conelea CA, Walther MR, Freeman JB, et al.Tic-related obsessive-compulsive disorder (Ocd): phenomenology and treatment outcome in the pediatric ocd treatment study ii.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry.2014;53(12):1308-1316.Pallanti S, Grassi G, Cantisani A, Sarrecchia E, Pellegrini M.Obsessive–compulsive disorder comorbidity: clinical assessment and therapeutic implications.Front Psychiatry. 2011;0.

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Brock H, Hany M.Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. In:StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; November 27, 2021.Subramaniam M, Soh P, Vaingankar JA, Picco L, Chong SA.Quality of life in obsessive-compulsive disorder: impact of the disorder and of treatment.CNS Drugs. 2013;27(5):367-383. doi:10.1007/s40263-013-0056-zCleveland Clinic.Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD): Symptoms & treatment.December 31, 2020National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).Obsessive-compulsive disorder.October 2019Conelea CA, Walther MR, Freeman JB, et al.Tic-related obsessive-compulsive disorder (Ocd): phenomenology and treatment outcome in the pediatric ocd treatment study ii.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry.2014;53(12):1308-1316.Pallanti S, Grassi G, Cantisani A, Sarrecchia E, Pellegrini M.Obsessive–compulsive disorder comorbidity: clinical assessment and therapeutic implications.Front Psychiatry. 2011;0.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Brock H, Hany M.Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. In:StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; November 27, 2021.Subramaniam M, Soh P, Vaingankar JA, Picco L, Chong SA.Quality of life in obsessive-compulsive disorder: impact of the disorder and of treatment.CNS Drugs. 2013;27(5):367-383. doi:10.1007/s40263-013-0056-zCleveland Clinic.Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD): Symptoms & treatment.December 31, 2020National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).Obsessive-compulsive disorder.October 2019Conelea CA, Walther MR, Freeman JB, et al.Tic-related obsessive-compulsive disorder (Ocd): phenomenology and treatment outcome in the pediatric ocd treatment study ii.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry.2014;53(12):1308-1316.Pallanti S, Grassi G, Cantisani A, Sarrecchia E, Pellegrini M.Obsessive–compulsive disorder comorbidity: clinical assessment and therapeutic implications.Front Psychiatry. 2011;0.

Brock H, Hany M.Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. In:StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; November 27, 2021.

Subramaniam M, Soh P, Vaingankar JA, Picco L, Chong SA.Quality of life in obsessive-compulsive disorder: impact of the disorder and of treatment.CNS Drugs. 2013;27(5):367-383. doi:10.1007/s40263-013-0056-z

Cleveland Clinic.Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD): Symptoms & treatment.December 31, 2020

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).Obsessive-compulsive disorder.October 2019

Conelea CA, Walther MR, Freeman JB, et al.Tic-related obsessive-compulsive disorder (Ocd): phenomenology and treatment outcome in the pediatric ocd treatment study ii.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry.2014;53(12):1308-1316.

Pallanti S, Grassi G, Cantisani A, Sarrecchia E, Pellegrini M.Obsessive–compulsive disorder comorbidity: clinical assessment and therapeutic implications.Front Psychiatry. 2011;0.

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