Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

What is OCD?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has two main parts: obsessions and compulsions.
Obsessions are unwelcome thoughts, images, urges worries, or doubts that repeatedly appear in your mind. They can make you feel very anxious (although some people describe it as ‘mental discomfort’ rather than anxiety).

Compulsions are repetitive activities that you do to reduce the anxiety caused by the obsession. It could be something like repeatedly checking a door is locked, repeating a specific phrase in your head, or checking how your body feels. 

You might find that sometimes your obsessions and compulsions are manageable, and at other times they may make your day-to-day life really difficult. They may be more severe when you are stressed about other things, like life changes, health, money, work, or relationships.

If you experience OCD, your obsessions and compulsions will likely have a big impact on how you live your life:

  • Disruption to your day-to-day life. Repeating compulsions can take up a lot of time, and you might avoid certain situations that trigger your OCD. This can mean that you’re not able to go to work, see family and friends, eat out or even go outside. Obsessive thoughts can make it hard to concentrate and leave you feeling exhausted.
  • Impact on your relationships. You may feel that you have to hide your OCD from people close to you
  • Feeling ashamed or lonely. You may feel ashamed of your obsessive thoughts, or worry that they can’t be treated. You might want to hide this part of you from other people and find it hard to be around people or to go outside. This can make you feel isolated and lonely.
  • Feeling anxious. You may find that your obsessions and compulsions are making you feel anxious and stressed.

Lots of people have misconceptions about OCD. Some people think it just means you wash your hands a lot or you like things to be tidy. They might even make jokes about it, or describe themselves as a ‘little bit OCD’.

Stigma about OCD can make it difficult to talk about. But it’s important to remember you are not alone, we are here to listen to you.