Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder that affects people of all ages and walks of life. It is a long-lasting disorder in which a person experiences uncontrollable and recurring thoughts (obsessions) and engages in repetitive behaviors (compulsions) . The obsessions are unwelcome thoughts, images, urges, worries, or doubts that repeatedly appear in your mind, and they can make you feel very anxious. The compulsions are behaviors that you feel driven to do in response to the obsessions, and they can take up a lot of time and interfere with your daily life.

Some common obsessions include fear of germs or contamination, fear of forgetting, losing, or misplacing something, fear of losing control over one’s behavior, aggressive thoughts toward others or oneself, and unwanted, forbidden, or taboo thoughts involving sex, religion, or harm. The compulsions that people engage in to alleviate the anxiety caused by the obsessions can include repetitive behaviors such as excessive cleaning, checking, counting, or arranging things in a specific way.

It is important to note that everyone has habits or thoughts that repeat sometimes, but people with OCD have thoughts or actions that take up at least an hour a day, are beyond their control, aren’t enjoyable, and interfere with work, social life, or another part of life. OCD can be a lifelong disorder, and it can have mild to moderate symptoms or be so severe and time-consuming that it becomes disabling. If your obsessions and compulsions are affecting your quality of life, it is recommended to see a doctor or mental health professional.