Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Phobias Slideshow Pictures Depression Tips Slideshow Pictures Bipolar Disorder: Do You Have Extreme Mood Shifts?

Medical Author:

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.

View Full Profile

Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

View Full Profile

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Overview
• Diagnoses Associated With OCD
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Causes
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Treatment
• Psychological Treatments
• Other Therapies
• Next Steps
• Follow-up
• Prevention
• Outlook
• Support Groups and Counseling
• For More Information
• Web Links
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Author and Editor
• Read more on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder from Healthwise
• Viewer Comments: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - Describe Your Experience

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Overview

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by the sufferer experiencing either obsessions or compulsions that occur repeatedly and persistently and interfere with their daily life. Obsessions are thoughts or worries that intrude on the person's normal thinking and that the sufferer knows are excessive or unwarranted. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors, loosely defined as habits that the sufferer feels compelled to perform and has difficulty resisting that are either done in response to obsessions or follow rigid rules.

Approximately 1%-2% of the general population will likely develop OCD at some time in their life. Those statistics seem to hold in a variety of cultures. It tends to run in families and to occur more often in women than men. On the other hand, some studies indicate that OCD may be more prevalent in boys than girls. There are many famous, accomplished people who suffer from OCD. There are thought to be a number of types of OCD:

• clear washing/cleaning and checking compulsions,



• symmetry, ordering, and arranging compulsions,



• hoarding obsessions,



• sexual or religious obsessions,



• obsessions in the absence of compulsions, and



• compulsions without obsessions.

Girls and women are more likely to have obsessions rather than compulsive behavior or a combination of the two types of symptoms as compared to OCD in males, who more likely suffer from isolated compulsions. The time period soon after giving birth (postpartum) carries a higher risk of developing OCD for women. Women who already suffer from avoidant or obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) are at even higher risk of developing postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder. Men may also develop postpartum OCD soon after their partners deliver.