What Is OCD and Do You Have It?

What is OCD? In its informal, non-clinical usage, OCD is used to describe a person who is overly meticulous or unusually absorbed in a task or project. This offhand usage shouldn't be confused with the clinical diagnosis on what is OCD, or obsessive compulsive disorder.

When discussing what is OCD, a person's condition must be distinguished from the other kinds of anxiety, as well as common stress and tension that occur throughout a person's life.

Moreover, what is OCD isn't simply answered by situations where a person shows intense infatuation, object- or subject-fixation, and/or perfectionism.

To answer what is OCD in the clinical sense, we should refer to the scientific diagnostic criteria for obsessive compulsive disorder. That is, the person should be diagnosed by a qualified physician to either have obsessions, compulsions, or obsessions AND compulsions.

What is OCD - Obsessions

If you're plagued by obsessions you have recurring thoughts and impulses that appear to be uncontrollable. You know these thoughts don't make sense and don't really want to have them. You find them intrusive and disturbing, especially as they usually occur when you're intentionally focusing on an activity or idea.

Here's a rundown of 7 typical obsessions:

1. Fear of dirt or germs
2. Fear of harming oneself or other people
3. Sexually graphic or violent images and ideas that suddenly occur
4. Abnormal focus on moral or religious ideas
5. Fear of not having or missing things you need
6. Symmetry/order (i.e., everything should be lined up perfectly)
7. Superstitions (i.e., too much attention on things regarded as lucky/unlucky)

What is OCD - Compulsions

Compulsions are repetitive patterns of behavior. A compulsive person feels that he/she is driven to perform these "rituals" and just can't stop doing them.

Compulsions are a person's active attempt to manage his/her obsession in the hopes of dealing with it. For instance, if a person is obsessed with germs, he/she may perform an elaborate washing ritual.

Another example is an obsessive concern whether a door was indeed locked or not.

The compulsive response would be to check and recheck the door lock five times (or some such specific number) before going to sleep or leaving the house.

Here are 7 typical compulsions:

1. Too much double checking
2. Repeated counting
3. Repeated hand washing
4. Too much cleaning or disinfecting
5. Arranging or ordering
6. Touching (a charm, a light switch, etc.)
7. Hoarding (matchbooks, sweetener sachets, etc.)

Note that only a qualified physician can answer what is OCD and if your specific symptoms mean you have the clinical disorder.