Does This Sound Like You?
Do you feel trapped in a pattern of unwanted and upsetting thoughts? Do you feel you have to do the same things over and over again for no good reason? Please put a check in the box next to any problems you have.

	I have upsetting thoughts or images enter my mind again and again.
	I feel like I can't stop these thoughts or images, even though I want to.
	I have a hard time stopping myself from doing things again and again, like: counting, checking on things, washing my hands, re-arranging objects, doing things until it feels right, collecting useless objects.
	I worry a lot about terrible things that could happen if I'm not careful.
	I have unwanted urges to hurt someone but know I never would.

If you put a check in the box next to some of these problems, you may have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a real illness. It can be treated with medicine and therapy.

If you have OCD, you have repeated, upsetting thoughts. You do the same thing over and over again to make the thoughts go away. You feel like you cannot control these thoughts or actions.

The upsetting thoughts and images are called “obsessions.” Examples include a fear of germs, a fear of being hurt, a fear of hurting others, and disturbing religious or sexual thoughts.

The actions you take over and over again to make the thoughts go away are called “compulsions.” Examples of these repeated actions include counting, cleaning, and checking on things.

Many people with OCD know that their actions are not normal, and they may try to hide their problem from family and friends. Some people with OCD may have trouble keeping their job and friends because of their actions.

When does OCD start and how long does it last?
For many people, OCD starts when a person is a child or teenager. If they do not get help, OCD can last for a lifetime. OCD may run in families.

Am I the only one with this illness?
No. You are not alone. In any year, 3.3 million Americans have OCD.

What can I do to help myself?
Talk to your doctor about your unwanted thoughts, fears, and repeated actions.

Tell your doctor if these thoughts and repeated actions keep you from doing everyday things and living your life. You may want to show your doctor this booklet. It can help you explain how you feel. Ask your doctor for a checkup to make sure you don’t have some other illness.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, involves anxious thoughts or rituals you feel you can’t control. If you have OCD, you may be plagued by persistent, unwelcome thoughts or images, or by the urgent need to engage in certain rituals.

You may be obsessed with germs or dirt, so you wash your hands over and over. You may be filled with doubt and feel the need to check things repeatedly. You may have frequent thoughts of violence, and fear that you will harm people close to you. You may spend long periods touching things or counting; you may be pre-occupied by order or symmetry; you may have persistent thoughts of performing sexual acts that are repugnant to you; or you may be troubled by thoughts that are against your religious beliefs.

The disturbing thoughts or images are called obsessions, and the rituals that are performed to try to prevent or get rid of them are called compulsions. There is no pleasure in carrying out the rituals you are drawn to, only temporary relief from the anxiety that grows when you don’t perform them.

A lot of healthy people can identify with some of the symptoms of OCD, such as checking the stove several times before leaving the house. But for people with OCD, such activities consume at least an hour a day, are very distressing, and interfere with daily life.

Most adults with this condition recognize that what they’re doing is senseless, but they can’t stop it. Some people, though, particularly children with OCD, may not realize that their behavior is out of the ordinary.

OCD afflicts about 3.3 million adult Americans. It strikes men and women in approximately equal numbers and usually first appears in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood. One-third of adults with OCD report having experienced their first symptoms as children. The course of the disease is variable-symptoms may come and go, they may ease over time, or they can grow progressively worse. Research evidence suggests that OCD might run in families.

Depression or other anxiety disorders may accompany OCD, and some people with OCD also have eating disorders. In addition, people with OCD may avoid situations in which they might have to confront their obsessions, or they may try unsuccessfully to use alcohol or drugs to calm themselves. If OCD grows severe enough, it can keep someone from holding down a job or from carrying out normal responsibilities at home.

OCD generally responds well to treatment with medications or carefully targeted psychotherapy.

For more information on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, an anxiety disorder, see Appendix VIII.