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Summary
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder. If you have OCD, you have frequent, upsetting thoughts called obsessions. To try to control the thoughts, you feel an overwhelming urge to repeat certain rituals or behaviors. These are called compulsions.
Examples of obsessions are a fear of germs or a fear of being hurt. Compulsions include washing your hands, counting, checking on things, or cleaning. With OCD, the thoughts and rituals cause distress and get in the way of your daily life.
Researchers think brain circuits may not work properly in people who have OCD. It tends to run in families. The symptoms often begin in children or teens. Treatments include therapy, medicines, or both. One type of therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, is useful for treating OCD.
NIH: National Institute of Mental Health
Diagnosis and Tests
- Screening for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (Anxiety and Depression Association of America)
Treatments and Therapies
- Mental Health Medications
(National Institute of Mental Health)
- OCD Treatment Options (Anxiety and Depression Association of America)
- Psychotherapies
(National Institute of Mental Health)
Living With
- Anxiety Disorders Information: Helping Others (Anxiety and Depression Association of America)
Related Issues
- Disorders Related to (And Sometimes Confused with) OCD (International OCD Foundation)
- Hoarding: Issues for the Fire Service (National Fire Protection Association) – PDF
- How to Find the Right Therapist (International OCD Foundation)
Specifics
- Hoarding disorder (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Statistics and Research
- Exposure / Ritual Prevention Therapy Boosts Antidepressant Treatment of OCD
(National Institute of Mental Health)
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder among Adults
(National Institute of Mental Health)
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
(National Institute of Mental Health)
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Hoarding Disorder
(National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Pharmacotherapy of obsessive-compulsive disorder during pregnancy: a clinical approach.
- Article: Neurobiology of rodent self-grooming and its value for translational neuroscience.
- Article: Exposure and response prevention helps adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder who…
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder — see more articles
Find an Expert
- American Psychiatric Association
- Anxiety and Depression Association of America
- Find a Therapist (Anxiety and Depression Association of America)
- Help for Mental Illnesses
(National Institute of Mental Health)
- Mental Health Treatment Program Locator (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
- National Institute of Mental Health
Children
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (Nemours Foundation)
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
- PANDAS: Frequently Asked Questions about Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections
(National Institute of Mental Health)
Teenagers
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (Nemours Foundation)
Patient Handouts
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder Available in Spanish