Common obsessions include fears about contamination, worries about having left appliances on or doors unlocked, fear of acting in shameful or humiliating ways, discomfort about things being out of order, extreme concerns about superstitions such as unlucky numbers or colors, and excessive worries about keeping objects ...
Concerns about contamination — or germs — are common intrusive thoughts. This could mean worrying about getting sick or spreading illness even when the risk is low. These intrusive thoughts can lead to obsessive concerns about your health and result in behaviors like excessive handwashing or avoiding other people.
1. Organization. Possibly the most recognizable form of OCD, this type involves obsessions about things being in precisely the right place or symmetrical.
There are five main types of obsessions: perfectionism (often related to symmetry, organization, or rules), relational (doubts or worries about a relationship, typically a significant other), contamination, causing harm, and unwanted intrusive thoughts (often with sexual or violent themes).
Harm OCD. This subtype of OCD involves intrusive thoughts of harming others or committing some sort of violent act. Someone who suffers from these types of thoughts experiences significant distress, because thoughts of harming others are inconsistent with their values and who they are.
Presentation. Primarily obsessional OCD has been called "one of the most distressing and challenging forms of OCD."
People with OCD tend to have obsessive thoughts, which they try to prevent by engaging in repetitive rituals, or compulsions. In contrast, a person with ADHD typically presents with excessive hyperactivity and impulsivity and difficulty focusing on one task at a time.
People often want to know why unwanted intrusive thoughts have such terrible content. Common ones include: harming a loved one, impulsively killing oneself, a sudden weird doubt about sexual orientation or identity, blasphemy, sexual abuse of all variations, turning into a mass shooter.
Intrusive thoughts are often triggered by stress or anxiety. They may also be a short-term problem brought on by biological factors, such as hormone shifts. For example, a woman might experience an uptick in intrusive thoughts after the birth of a child.
Mild OCD can look like regular OCD but to a lesser intensity, such as: Washing your hands after certain food prep. Counting the number of times you may step/walk in the home. Some hoarding behaviors such as keeping specific types of items.
Obsessing and ruminating are often part of living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). No matter how hard you try to ignore them, those negative thoughts just keep coming back, replaying themselves in an infinite loop.
The type of abnormal activity, though, is quite different: those with OCD exhibit significantly higher levels of activity in this system, while those with ADHD exhibit significantly lower levels of activity in it.
You can get it under control and become recovered but, at the present time, there is no cure. It is a potential that will always be there in the background, even if it is no longer affecting your life.
Other Unusual OCD Obsessions
Being bothered by certain sounds or noises (e.g., sound of chewing food) Intrusive (non-violent) mental images (e.g., cartoons, faces, or clouds) Intrusive nonsense sounds, words, or music that pop into a person's head and won't go away. Losing one's personality or positive qualities.
Common compulsive behaviors in OCD include:
Repeatedly checking in on loved ones to make sure they're safe. Counting, tapping, repeating certain words, or doing other senseless things to reduce anxiety. Spending a lot of time washing or cleaning. Ordering or arranging things “just so”.
In the United States, about 2.2% of the population will experience OCD sometime during their lives. Rates of OCD were found to be higher with women (1.8%) than men (0.5%). Childhood OCD has a stronger genetic link than adult-onset OCD, with up to 65% having a genetic link.
OCPD is a personality disorder. It looks and feels different than OCD. People with OCPD are strongly focused on—even obsessed with—a goal of perfection for themselves and others.
Overview. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common, chronic, and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts ("obsessions") and/or behaviors ("compulsions") that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over.
The onset of OCD is not limited to the original meaning of trauma; rather, traumatic experiences such as unexpected exposure to contaminants or various stressful life events often cause the onset of OCD.