OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder)

What is OCD?

Obsessions are intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that feel distressing and hard to dismiss. Compulsions are actions, like checking, washing, counting, or seeking reassurance, performed to neutralise that distress.

Key things to know

The relief from a compulsion is temporary, which strengthens the cycle. OCD is not a personality quirk about tidiness; it can consume hours a day and cause significant distress.

• Obsessions are unwanted intrusive thoughts; compulsions are acts done to neutralise them.
• The relief from a compulsion is temporary, which is exactly what strengthens the cycle.
• OCD is not a tidiness quirk; it can consume hours a day.
• First-line treatment is exposure and response prevention (ERP), a form of CBT.
• OCD rarely resolves on its own; professional assessment is important.

What helps

The first-line treatment is a form of CBT called exposure and response prevention (ERP), often combined with medication. OCD rarely resolves without treatment, so professional assessment is important.

How SelfMind can help

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Related terms

• Intrusive thoughts
• Exposure therapy
• Anxiety disorder