Do you get stuck on certain thoughts or images that won’t get out of your head? Are these thoughts or images really distressing? Are there certain behaviors that you think you must do in order to feel “safe” from these thoughts or images? If you’re wondering if you might have obsessive compulsive disorder, start here.

OCD has 2 important elements: obsessions and compulsions.

Obsessions might be thoughts, images, or urges that you experience as highly distressing, disturbing, and unwanted.

Compulsions are the behaviors that you engage in to soothe your distress or feel “safe” from the obsession.

The problem is that this feeling of soothing or safety is very temporary. It’s not long before the feeling wears off. This can lead to the compulsions becoming very time-consuming, getting in the way of daily living.

Here’s what this cycle might look like: The intrusive thought pops into your mind. In response to the presence of this thought, you experience anxiety and worry. A piece of your brain tells you that in order to get rid of this worry, there’s something specific that you must do. You listen to that piece of your brain, you do the thing, and you feel better. But only briefly… before you know it, that piece of your brain comes back and says, “yeah, but are you sure that scary thing isn’t reality? How do you know for sure?” This prompts renewed, stronger anxiety. This is how the OCD cycle begins and why it can feel so challenging to get unstuck from OCD.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can impact people of all ages and all genders in all parts of the world. It is important to remember that OCD does not look the same for every person. It Is also important to remember that if you are experiencing OCD, you are not alone! Help exists and connecting with an OCD-Informed therapist who uses Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) can be so valuable.