Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

OCD shouldn't be confused with sometimes acting "compulsive." Individuals who act this way expect a lot from themselves, are very organized in their work and play, and are sometimes called "perfectionists." This type of "compulsiveness" often has value in a person's life. It can help a person feel good about themselves and help them be a success on the job. It differs greatly from OCD, which is an illness that can have a devastating effect on a person's life.

Symptoms of OCD include:

• Having upsetting thoughts or images enter your mind again and again.

• Feeling like you can't stop these thoughts or images, even though you want to.

• Having a hard time stopping yourself from doing things again and again, like counting, checking on things, washing your hands, cleaning, re-arranging objects, doing things until it feels "right," or collecting useless objects.

• Worrying a lot about terrible things that could happen if you're not careful.

• Having unwanted urges to hurt someone, but knowing you never would.

People with OCD sometimes also abuse alcohol and drugs and can have other illnesses, such as depression, eating disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or other anxiety disorders. When a person also has other illnesses, OCD is often harder to diagnose and treat.