OCD Rituals

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a condition which is characterized by unwanted thoughts repeatedly popping into the minds of sufferers.

These thoughts -- often referred to as obsessions -- then cause individuals to cope by performing particular behaviors over and over again. The repeated actions (rituals) are done with the hope that they will make the original unwanted thoughts go away. And while they do accomplish this in the short-term, this is only a temporary relief, and the unwanted thoughts always return. Not giving in to the rituals, however, causes increased bouts of stress and anxiety.

Germs

While OCD comes in all shapes and sizes, certain obsessions and rituals have risen to the forefront because of how often they occur. An obsession with germs is extremely common, and it involves the OCD sufferer constantly having to wash their hands over and over again to get clean. Another common compulsion involves combing hair in front of a mirror to the point where the sufferer can’t move away for extended periods of time.

The one characteristic that all of these obsessions and rituals have in common is that they are completely undesired and unwanted, and go a long way in hindering the enjoyment that people can get from their lives.

Other Rituals

Some of the other common rituals include, but aren’t limited to: constantly touching or counting things in a particular order, repeatedly checking on things, thoughts of performing violence, thoughts about performing sexual acts and thoughts about committing actions prohibited by one’s religious or cultural standards.

People suffering from OCD also often tend to be unable to throw anything away.

Generally speaking, OCD can come in a variety of ways and individuals may sometimes have trouble initially spotting it – particularly younger sufferers. Nevertheless, anyone who finds themselves constantly having unwanted thoughts which lead them to commit unwanted actions, should get themselves tested for the disorder by a mental health specialist.