Obsessive or compulsive behavior is associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which affects approximately 1 in 200 children and/or adolescents, according to FamilyDoctor.org. OCD causes anxiety or distress and interferes with normal routine, social activities, relationships and in school-age children, with academics. The exact cause of the disorder is unknown and individuals who suffer from this disorder can fall into one of many different subtypes that exhibit different behaviors.
Defined
Obsessive behavior is characterized by unwanted thoughts that recur repeatedly, do not make sense, causes fear and doubt, and can distract you from important activities, according to the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF). These thoughts can be anxiety provoking or distressing, and will vary depending on the thoughts in the person's consciousness.
Compulsive behaviors, or rituals, are the repetition of activities in which a person engages that neutralize, counteract or make obsessions go away, according to the IOCDF. Compulsions can also cause a person to avoid the situation that triggered the excessive behavior, and the repetitive rituals help to reduce the anxiety from the obsessive thoughts.
Hygiene
The "washer" subtype of OCD exhibits the phobia of germs and contamination. This individual may be classified as a hypochondriac---having a phobia or worry about contracting a serious illness. Washing hands and using antibacterial products generally come as second nature and are done repeatedly, sometimes without even noticing the compulsive behavior. In addition, to a person with this type of OCD, cleanliness is important and constantly cleaning the house or workspace is normal behavior. The cleanliness does not just stop with the hands, if the individual is obsessed about germs, taking two to three showers per day is ritual behavior for the "washer" subtype.
Safety
The "checker" OCD subtype is fixated on safety and in preventing harm or danger from occurring. A "checker" repeatedly checks to ensure appliances are off, windows and doors are locked, and blinds are closed. If the feeling arises that something was left on, the individual will stop what they are doing to ensure the compulsive thought is remedied. People with this subtype of OCD generally have an extravagant ritual, or mental checklist to ensure that all safety concerns are met prior to leaving the house or going to bed.
Hoarder
Hoarding is often a specific symptom of OCD. A hoarder is an individual who does not throw anything away in fear of something bad happening. According to the OCDF, the hoarder collects too many items, has a difficulty getting rid of items and has problems with organization; 3 out of 4 hoarders shop too much. Hoarding can pose a health risk because the clutter takes over the entire home and has the potential to become a fire hazard or cause mold from lack of cleaning. In addition, hoarders may experience problems with daily living tasks due to the clutter and squalor of their living conditions.
MayoClinic.com notes that hoarders may have a sense of safety with the collected items; this is often the case with animal hoarders. However, animal hoarders often obsessively focus on taking care of the animals to the point that they neglect their own health needs.
Organizers
An organizer feels the strong need to arrange and rearrange objects until they are "just right." The organizer subtype includes several different characteristics such as counters, arrangers and time-management obsessions. The counters and arrangers share similar personalities, with their obsessions associated with symmetry and order, colors, numbers and item arrangement. Persons diagnosed with the obsession of time-management are constantly looking at a watch or clock, and their obsession concerns being late for an appointment or engagement.
