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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Unwanted intrusive thoughts paired with ritual behaviours
Overview
OCD involves a cycle of obsessions (fears) and compulsions (rituals done to relieve the fear). It is not just "being neat" — OCD is distressing and significantly impairs daily life.
First Steps
- 1Do NOT rely on reassurance from others — reassurance feeds the OCD cycle.
- 2Find an OCD specialist (ideally someone trained in ERP). General talk therapy can make OCD worse.
- 3Learn the difference between obsessions (unwanted) and personal values — OCD often attacks what you care about most.
Symptoms
Contamination fears
commonFear of germs, dirt, or illness
Symmetry and ordering
commonNeed for things to be "just right"
Intrusive thoughts
commonUnwanted forbidden or taboo thoughts
Compulsive rituals
commonChecking, washing, counting, mental rituals
Interventions & Treatments
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
Most evidence-backed optionThe gold-standard behavioural therapy for OCD.
How it works
Deliberately exposes the patient to feared triggers while preventing the compulsive ritual, breaking the fear-relief reinforcement loop that perpetuates OCD.
SSRIs (high dose)
Most evidence-backed optionSSRIs at higher doses than typical for depression.
How it works
Reduces obsessive-compulsive symptoms over 8-12 weeks. OCD typically requires higher SSRI doses than depression — often 2-3x the standard dose.
Research cited
- [1]NICE Guideline CG31: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Body Dysmorphic DisorderNational Institute for Health and Care Excellence(2005)medical guideline
- [2]APA Practice Guidelines for Obsessive-Compulsive DisorderAmerican Psychiatric Association(2007)medical guideline
- [3]
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Medical Disclaimer
This is a research summary, not medical advice. Body Signals is an independent research digest — it summarises published research for informational purposes and is not a healthcare provider. Mental health care works best with a qualified provider. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, Canada and US). For text-only crisis support: text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line, US) or CONNECT to 686868 (Kids Help Phone, Canada). Canadian LGBTQ+ youth can reach LGBT Youth Line 1-800-268-9688 or Trans Lifeline 1-877-330-6366; US LGBTQ+ youth can reach the Trevor Project 1-866-488-7386. In an emergency, call 911. Evidence ratings for mental health interventions default to B (standard clinical treatments with established research); individual response varies.
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