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Obsessive-compulsive and related

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Obsessions (intrusive thoughts or images that generate distress) and compulsions (rituals to calm it: checking, washing, sorting, going over mentally) that consume time and discomfort.

Common signs

Frightening intrusive thoughtsRepeated rituals to calm anxietyNeed to make sure or ask over and over

Tips

For you

  1. The treatment of choice is exposure and response prevention
  2. Delay the ritual a few more minutes each time
  3. Ask the people around you not to take part in the rituals

For family and friends

  1. Don't take part in the rituals or keep giving reassurance
  2. Support treatment without getting angry about the symptoms

When to ask for help

  1. If the rituals take up more than an hour a day
  2. If the thoughts frighten you or make you feel guilty

Guidance test

Answer thinking about the last few weeks. There are 8 questions and you get your result straight away. Your answers are not saved or sent.

0 of 8
1. I have unwanted thoughts that distress me
2. I feel I have to do something to calm them
3. I check things several times (doors, gas, messages)
4. I wash or clean more than necessary
5. I need things to be in a certain order or symmetry
6. I go over things in my head or ask for reassurance
7. The rituals take up more than an hour a day
8. I know it's excessive, but I can't stop
Also take the full OCD test →

Free resources

Downloadable PDF sheetSigns, tips and resources to print or saveFull article: OCDFree resource from Clínica VivaldiAll our free guidesFree resource from Clínica Vivaldi

Related disorders

Body dysmorphic disorderObsessive-compulsive and relatedHoarding disorderObsessive-compulsive and relatedTrichotillomania (hair-pulling)Obsessive-compulsive and relatedExorcism disorder (scratching the skin)Obsessive-compulsive and related

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Reviewed by María Teresa Fernández Vicente, health psychologist and neuropsychologist (registration no. CV17304), in November 2026. Educational information prepared by the Clínica Vivaldi team based on the DSM-5-TR classification. It does not replace a professional assessment and cannot be used to diagnose.