“I’m So OCD”: Common Misunderstandings About Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
What Is OCD? Understanding Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
There are plenty of people that have heard stereotypes about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) that has led them to mistakenly label a behavior as “being OCD.”Stereotypes regarding OCD revolve around the idea of excessive cleaning, being overly organized or being extremely detail-oriented. However, those stereotypes do not reflect the complexity of the symptoms experienced by the individuals that have been diagnosed with OCD. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) OCD is characterized by the presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both. Those symptoms should be time-consuming or cause clinically significant distress or impairment in some important aspects of an individual's functioning. Furthermore, the symptoms should not be better explained by the effect of some substance, another medical condition, or another mental disorder.
Common OCD Misconceptions and Stereotypes
The common stereotypes regarding OCD do not fully encompass the diagnosis or the way it can impair one’s daily functioning. OCD includes obsessions and compulsions that can vary significantly and can overlap with each other. The first component of the diagnosis, obsessions, are associated with intrusive, unwanted, and recurrent thoughts, urges, or images that create a lot of distress. Themes that can be included in obsessions are related to aggression or harm, contamination, religion or morality, sexual thoughts, and fears associated with one's physical condition and sensations. The second part of the diagnosis, compulsions, are defined as repetitive behaviors or mental acts that one performs due to feeling the need to reduce one's anxiety or to prevent some consequences.
Obsessions and Compulsions: Understanding OCD Symptoms
What Are OCD Obsessions?
The first component of the diagnosis, obsessions, are associated with intrusive, unwanted, and recurrent thoughts, urges, or images that create a lot of distress.
What Are OCD Compulsions?
The second part of the diagnosis, compulsions, are defined as repetitive behaviors or mental acts that one performs due to feeling the need to reduce one's anxiety or to prevent some consequences.
The OCD Cycle: Obsessions, Anxiety, and Compulsions
A cycle often develops between obsessions and compulsions that can maintain OCD symptoms over time. The cycle starts with intrusive and unwanted thought, image, urge, or concern that causes some anxiety or distress. The thought can be linked with a particular feared consequence or interpretation of the situation which creates the feelings of distress. In order to get rid of anxiety or prevent the consequences from happening, an individual resorts to performing a repetitive behavior or mental act (compulsion). Although the relief is temporary, the relief itself can strengthen the habit and lead to its increased usage in the future. Due to this, the cycle of obsession, anxiety, compulsion, and temporary relief continues.
How Is OCD Diagnosed?
A clinician might suspect the presence of OCD based on a report of the intrusive thoughts, images, and urges of a client and following the repetitive behavior or mental rituals.
Sometimes clients come into therapy already having an inkling that there is something more going on with their thought process and the behaviors they’re engaging in. Assessment of OCD requires conducting a comprehensive evaluation. First, the clinician might ask questions about intrusive thoughts, urges, and images of a client, as well as any repetitive behaviors and mental acts performed by the person. Self-report screening measures can be conducted in order to obtain additional information about the presence and intensity of symptoms. Then, if needed, the more elaborate assessment, such as the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) can be administered in order to evaluate the severity of the disorder. This assessment technique can help both the client and the clinician to better understand the nature of the symptoms and identify the possible targets for therapy.
Understanding OCD and Seeking Help
At Newbury Counseling & Consulting (NCC), we recognize that OCD can look different for everyone. Therapy can provide a nonjudgmental space to explore intrusive thoughts, understand the cycle of obsessions and compulsions, and develop strategies for responding to OCD symptoms in healthier ways. If you're looking for an OCD therapist in Chicago or Illinois, contact NCC to learn more about therapy options and find out whether OCD treatment may be a good fit for you.
This blog was written by Evelyn Padilla, LPC, for Newbury Counseling & Consulting 2026
