4 Ways to Identify Symptoms of OCD

1. Monitor Intrusive and Unpleasant Thoughts

Exact symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) vary, but they usually stem from the presence of troubling thoughts or images that appear in your mind. They can be thoughts of violence, fears about illness or contagion, recurring images of sexuality, concerns about leaving an appliance running, or fixation on a particular object or phenomenon. These thoughts will linger despite any efforts to ignore or suppress them, and their unpleasant nature can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety. They will also likely begin to interfere with your daily activities, such as office work or hobbies you normally enjoy.

2. Track Signs of Ritualistic Behavior

The anxiety caused by obsessive behavior may lead to elaborate rituals that you use to quell or suppress it. Again, these rituals will vary depending on the nature of your obsessive thoughts. Ritualistic behavior often involves multiple steps taken for a comparatively simple act, which must be adhered to in order for you to feel that it is complete. Examples include counting and arranging groups of objects, rituals for opening doors, lengthy routes taken to work in order to avoid certain triggers and elaborate ways of getting into your car to ensure that no one is waiting for you in the back seat. You probably realize they are irrational, yet you continue to do them anyway, lest you trigger an anxiety attack. You may also be compelled to hide evidence of them from others in order to deal with the stigma.

3. Watch for Repetition of Simple Acts

As with the ritualistic behavior, OCD may involve performing the same task multiple times, even though there is no need to do so. For example, obsession with germs may lead to repetitive hand washing, even though your hands are spotless, or fears about burglary may lead you to check your front door multiple times before leaving for work, even though you know it's locked. Repetitive and ritualistic behavior will often take up an inordinate amount of time--up to 1 hour a day or longer. Like the obsessive thoughts, this behavior will interfere with normal parts of your life.

4. Consider Attendant Symptoms

Though they are not directly connected with obsessive compulsive behavior, other symptoms may arise in the wake of OCD. Many patients report signs of depression, the development of phobias and feelings of helplessness or despair. The notion that compulsive behavior is strange may lead to feelings of shame as you attempt to conceal evidence of your rituals. The presence of these symptoms may sometimes lead doctors to misdiagnose your condition. When speaking to a physician or therapist, it is important to be as honest as possible about your behavior, even if you think you have reasons to be ashamed of it. That will make it easier to determine whether you have OCD or something else.