Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

OCD is a mental health disorder characterized by unwanted intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) that a person feels driven to perform in order to reduce the distress caused by the obsessions. Obsessions are persistent unwanted thoughts, urges or mental images that lead to anxiety and cause distress. Examples include fears of contamination, fears of harming oneself or others and fears of doing the wrong thing to name a few. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed in response to obsessions to reduce anxiety or prevent a feared event. Common compulsions include excessive washing, cleaning, checking things repeatedly, counting, arranging times or seeking reassurance. OCD can cause significant distress and impair work, school and relationships. Often people realize these are irrational but cannot control them. Psychotherapy is a part of the treatment for OCD with the standard of care being medication management and therapy. Exposure and response prevention (ERP), Eye Movement Desensisitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) are especially helpful for OCD.