Characteristics of OCD

• Explain what is meant by OCD.


  An anxiety disorder.

  The person will experience obsessions i.e. persistent, intrusive thoughts that create feelings of anxiety.

  To reduce this anxiety, the person will engage in compulsions i.e. repetitive behaviours that they feel they must do. 
• Outline two behavioural characteristics of OCD.


  Compulsions – Repetitive behaviours the person feels they must perform to reduce feelings of anxiety. These are maladaptive i.e. disruptive to every day life e.g. continuously switching the lights on and off can make individuals late to work.

  Avoidance – people with OCD may avoid situations that trigger their obsessive thoughts. This can be maladaptive if it means avoiding everyday situations such as a workplace.
• Outline two emotional characteristics of OCD.


  Anxiety – people with OCD have extreme feelings of worry that result from their obsessive thoughts.

  Embarrassment - A person with OCD will recognise that their compulsions are abnormal which can lead to feelings of embarrassment. 
• Outline two cognitive characteristics of OCD.


  Obsessions – persistent intrusive thoughts that cause anxiety. This often involves catastrophic thinking i.e. thinking about worst-case outcomes if they do not do something e.g. I have to wash my hands or I might catch germs and die.

  A person with OCD is typically aware that their obsessions are irrational. However, this fails to reduce their feelings of anxiety.