What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptoms of OCDDiagnosisCausesTypesTreatmentCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms of OCD

Diagnosis

Causes

Types

Treatment

Coping

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In the newest edition of theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM-5), OCD was moved to its own disorder class of “Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders.” Related conditions in the class includebody-dysmorphic disorder,hoarding disorder, andtrichotillomania.

Symptoms of OCD usually appear gradually and can be long-lasting if not treated. People with OCD may experience symptoms of obsessions, compulsions, or both. Such symptoms interfere with many areas of life including school, work,relationships, and normal daily functioning.

Obsessions

Obsessionsarethoughts, images, or ideas that won’t go away, are unwanted, and are extremely distressing or worrying (“What if I become infected with a deadly disease?” or “What if I hurt someone?").

Some common symptoms of obsessions include:

Compulsions

Compulsionsare behaviors that have to be done over and over again to relieve anxiety. Compulsions are often related to obsessions. For example, if you are obsessed with being contaminated, you might feel compelled to wash your hands repeatedly. However, this is not always the case.

Some common compulsions include:

What Is Repetition Compulsion?

OCD usually begins around late adolescence/young adulthood, although young children and teenagers can also be affected. Parents and teachers often miss OCD in young children and teenagers, as they may go to great lengths to hide their symptoms.

Theexact causesof OCD are not known, but there are a few factors that are believed to play a role.

People who are vulnerable to OCD describe a strong need to control their thoughts and may believe that their obsessive thoughts mean they are going crazy or will lose control. While many people can have recurrent, strange or unusual thoughts when feeling stressed, if you are vulnerable to OCD, it may be difficult to ignore or forget about these thoughts. In fact, because these thoughts seem so dangerous, you end up paying even more attention to them, which sets up a vicious cycle.

Is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Genetic?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder can present in a few different ways. Some people experience only obsessions, more commonly people experience both obsessions and compulsions, even if the compulsive behavior is only mental. There are no official subtypes of OCD, but research suggests that the most common obsessions and compulsions tend to center on certain themes:

Unlike normal OCD, which develops slowly, in contrast to other forms of OCD, PANDAS OCD develops quickly and has a variety of other symptoms associated with it.

Treatments for OCD may include medications, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two.

Medication

There are a variety of medications that are effective in reducing the frequency and severity of OCD symptoms. Many of the medications that are effective in treating OCD, such as Prozac (fluoxetine), Paxil (paroxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), Anafranil (clomipramine), and Luvox (fluvoxamine) affect levels ofserotonin. Additional types of medications that affect other neurotransmitters in the brain may also be used.

Psychotherapy

Psychological therapies are also highly effective treatments for reducing the frequency and intensity of OCD symptoms. Effective psychological treatments for OCD emphasize changes in behavior and/or thoughts.

When appropriate, psychotherapy can be done alone or combined with medication. The two main types of psychological therapies for OCD arecognitive behaviorial therapy (CBT)andexposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy.

Treatments for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

OCD can be a chronic, long-lasting condition that may worsen with time, so it is important to get professional treatment. In addition to talking to your doctor or mental health professional, there are also a number of self-help strategies that you can use to help manage your symptoms:

If you or a loved one are struggling with OCD, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with OCD, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Self-Help Strategies for Living With OCD

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.National Institute of Mental Health.Obsessive compulsive disorder.National Institute of Mental Health.Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).Sinopoli VM, Burton CL, Kronenberg S, Arnold PD.A review of the role of serotonin system genes in obsessive-compulsive disorder.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2017;80:372‐381. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.029Hanna GL, Himle JA, Curtis GC, Gillespie BW.A family study of obsessive-compulsive disorder with pediatric probands.Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2005;134B(1):13-9. doi:10.1002/ajmg.b.30138Leckman JF, Bloch MH, King RA.Symptom dimensions and subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder: A developmental perspective.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2009;11(1):21‐33.Paterson JL, Reynolds AC, Ferguson SA, Dawson D.Sleep and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).Sleep Med Rev. 2013;17(6):465-74. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2012.12.002Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.: 2013.Pauls DL.The genetics of obsessive compulsive disorder: A review of the evidence.Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet.2008;138C(2):133-139. doi:10.1002/ajmg.c.30168Rachman S.Obsessions, responsibility and guilt.Behav Res Ther. 1993;31(2):149-54. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(93)90066-4Saxena S, Rauch S.Functional neuroimaging and the neuroanatomy of obsessive-compulsive disorder.Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2000;23(3):563-86. doi:10.1016/s0193-953x(05)70181-7

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.National Institute of Mental Health.Obsessive compulsive disorder.National Institute of Mental Health.Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).Sinopoli VM, Burton CL, Kronenberg S, Arnold PD.A review of the role of serotonin system genes in obsessive-compulsive disorder.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2017;80:372‐381. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.029Hanna GL, Himle JA, Curtis GC, Gillespie BW.A family study of obsessive-compulsive disorder with pediatric probands.Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2005;134B(1):13-9. doi:10.1002/ajmg.b.30138Leckman JF, Bloch MH, King RA.Symptom dimensions and subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder: A developmental perspective.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2009;11(1):21‐33.Paterson JL, Reynolds AC, Ferguson SA, Dawson D.Sleep and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).Sleep Med Rev. 2013;17(6):465-74. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2012.12.002Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.: 2013.Pauls DL.The genetics of obsessive compulsive disorder: A review of the evidence.Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet.2008;138C(2):133-139. doi:10.1002/ajmg.c.30168Rachman S.Obsessions, responsibility and guilt.Behav Res Ther. 1993;31(2):149-54. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(93)90066-4Saxena S, Rauch S.Functional neuroimaging and the neuroanatomy of obsessive-compulsive disorder.Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2000;23(3):563-86. doi:10.1016/s0193-953x(05)70181-7

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.

National Institute of Mental Health.Obsessive compulsive disorder.National Institute of Mental Health.Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).Sinopoli VM, Burton CL, Kronenberg S, Arnold PD.A review of the role of serotonin system genes in obsessive-compulsive disorder.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2017;80:372‐381. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.029Hanna GL, Himle JA, Curtis GC, Gillespie BW.A family study of obsessive-compulsive disorder with pediatric probands.Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2005;134B(1):13-9. doi:10.1002/ajmg.b.30138Leckman JF, Bloch MH, King RA.Symptom dimensions and subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder: A developmental perspective.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2009;11(1):21‐33.Paterson JL, Reynolds AC, Ferguson SA, Dawson D.Sleep and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).Sleep Med Rev. 2013;17(6):465-74. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2012.12.002

National Institute of Mental Health.Obsessive compulsive disorder.

National Institute of Mental Health.Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Sinopoli VM, Burton CL, Kronenberg S, Arnold PD.A review of the role of serotonin system genes in obsessive-compulsive disorder.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2017;80:372‐381. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.029

Hanna GL, Himle JA, Curtis GC, Gillespie BW.A family study of obsessive-compulsive disorder with pediatric probands.Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2005;134B(1):13-9. doi:10.1002/ajmg.b.30138

Leckman JF, Bloch MH, King RA.Symptom dimensions and subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder: A developmental perspective.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2009;11(1):21‐33.

Paterson JL, Reynolds AC, Ferguson SA, Dawson D.Sleep and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).Sleep Med Rev. 2013;17(6):465-74. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2012.12.002

American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.: 2013.Pauls DL.The genetics of obsessive compulsive disorder: A review of the evidence.Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet.2008;138C(2):133-139. doi:10.1002/ajmg.c.30168Rachman S.Obsessions, responsibility and guilt.Behav Res Ther. 1993;31(2):149-54. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(93)90066-4Saxena S, Rauch S.Functional neuroimaging and the neuroanatomy of obsessive-compulsive disorder.Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2000;23(3):563-86. doi:10.1016/s0193-953x(05)70181-7

American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.: 2013.

Pauls DL.The genetics of obsessive compulsive disorder: A review of the evidence.Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet.2008;138C(2):133-139. doi:10.1002/ajmg.c.30168

Rachman S.Obsessions, responsibility and guilt.Behav Res Ther. 1993;31(2):149-54. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(93)90066-4

Saxena S, Rauch S.Functional neuroimaging and the neuroanatomy of obsessive-compulsive disorder.Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2000;23(3):563-86. doi:10.1016/s0193-953x(05)70181-7

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