Common OCD Obsessions

The symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) often revolve around compulsions and obsessions. These can take a variety of forms, including cleaning and frequently washing hands and clothes. These rituals causes OCD sufferers a considerable degree of anxiety, as well as taking up a good deal of each day. Some of these symptoms are briefly described in our articles on “What Is OCD?” and “Types of OCD”, but this article looks at some of the most common OCD obsessions in more detail.

What are Obsessions?

Obsessions are distressing thoughts, images or impulses that occur on a regular basis and cause lots of anxiety to sufferers. Whereas people who do not suffer from OCD can dismiss these types of thoughts without too much difficulty, this is not the case in OCD. Instead, they persist in the minds of sufferers until they can often think of little else. Any attempts to suppress or ignore the intrusions usually end in failure.

In Pure 'O', intrusive thoughts and images are the main symptom of OCD. Physical compulsions are usually not present in this form of OCD. See our article on “Pure 'O' OCD” for more information on Pure 'O'.

Sufferers often try to block out or suppress the intrusions through specific compulsions in a bid to reduce the anxiety caused by the obsessions. For many OCD sufferers, these physical compulsions actually make the original obsessions worse. Some of these physical compulsions are discussed in the rest of this article.

Cleaning

An obsessive desire for cleaning is a prominent OCD compulsion that often becomes an obsession. Sufferers generally feel the need to repeatedly clean anything that they touch or are about to touch in case they pick up dirt or germs. For example, some sufferers will carry antibacterial wipes to clean door handles several times a day so that they do not come into contact with other people's germs. They may also spend a significant amount of time cleaning surfaces so that they are spotless. The cleaning process is often repeated when dust settles again.

Washing Hands and Clothes

A constant need for sufferers to be washing hands and clothes is another common OCD compulsion that can turn into an obsession. As with the cleaning compulsion, it stems from the fact that sufferers fear being contaminated by dirt and germs.

Although these are some of the most common obsessions that sufferers develop, they are not the only OCD symptoms that you may experience. In many cases, physical compulsions such as cleaning and washing hands and clothes are an attempt to reduce the anxiety caused by the intrusive thoughts, images and impulses that cause many OCD sufferers to obsess about them.

Ironically, these physical compulsions can cause more anxiety and can increase the significance of the mental obsessions that they are intended to deflect attention away from. Whereas most people can easily dismiss violent or perverse thoughts as insignificant and nothing to worry about, they affect OCD sufferers to the extent that they eat away at them and take on a life of their own.