Obsessions - intrusive, unwanted thoughts that spike anxiety - plus compulsions, the rituals done to quiet them: washing, checking, counting, arranging, reassurance-seeking.
The markers of clinical OCD, per NIMH: the thoughts are uncontrollable and unwanted, the rituals bring only brief relief, and the cycle is time-consuming - often an hour-plus a day - and interferes with daily life. Onset is usually late childhood to young adulthood. It is very treatable: exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the specialized therapy, and SSRIs help many.
What to do
Common questions
What are the signs of OCD?
OCD has two working parts, per NIMH: obsessions - uncontrollable, recurring, unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that spike anxiety (contamination fears, harm fears, forbidden or taboo thoughts, a need for symmetry) - and compulsions, the repetitive behaviors or mental rituals performed to neutralize the anxiety: washing, checking, counting, repeating, arranging, seeking reassurance. The markers that separate clinical OCD from ordinary worry: the thoughts are intrusive and unwanted - the person knows they do not make sense but cannot dismiss them; the rituals bring only brief relief and then the loop restarts; and the cycle is time-consuming - NIMH notes OCD symptoms are often time-consuming and cause significant distress or interfere with daily life, with an hour-plus a day being a common clinical yardstick. Onset is usually late childhood to young adulthood. OCD is very treatable: the specialized therapy is exposure and response prevention (ERP), a form of CBT, and SSRIs help many patients, sometimes at higher doses than for depression. In crisis: 988 in the US, or your local crisis line. Pymander, a free AI doctor available 24/7 by text, can help you describe the loop to a clinician.