OCD

Because the work “obsessive” is very often used in everyday language Obsessive Compulsive Disorders is often misunderstood or oversimplified just as the washing hands/cleaning problem. When that is the case, the obsessions theme is contamination, however OCD has many other very common obsessions themes that often are not recognized. Some of these themes are: losing control/acting on an impulse, religious obsession (scrupulosity), unwanted sexual thoughts, harm/violent thoughts, symmetry/exactness, superstitious ideas, and losing things/forgetting things. Obsessions are actually vivid, recurrent, unwanted, disturbing, intrusive thoughts, images or urges that often are causing a very intense experience of distress in the form of doubt, fear, disgust, or “just not right” feelings. Compulsions are behaviors that serve the purpose of getting rid of the obsessive thoughts and the very intense distress associated to the obsessive thoughts.