Characteristics

• Compulsive behaviour

  • Repetitive
  • Compulsions temporarily reduce anxiety
  • Around 10% have no obsessions, just general irrational anxiety
  • Most are performed to manage anxiety caused by obsessions
• Behavioural characteristics 


  • Avoidance of situations that trigger anxiety
• Emotional characteristics 


  • Anxiety and distress
  • Depression - individuals with OCD often suffer from depression, low mood, etc
  • Irrational guilt + disgust
• Cognitive characteristics

  • Obsessive thoughts - always unpleasant
  • Cognitive strategies used to deal with obsessions, often ‘odd’
  • Insight into excessive anxiety - understand obsessions and compulsions are not rational
  • Those with OCD often overcome with obsessive thoughts + learn cognitive strategies to deal with them
  • Cognitive processing of obsessive thoughts + excessive anxiety