Behavioural Characteristics of OCD

• People with OCD feel compelled to repeat a behaviour, such as hand washing, counting, or tidying.
• Compulsions reduce anxiety


  • Around 10% of people with OCD show compulsive behaviour alone - they have no obsessions, just a general sense of irrational anxiety.
  • Compulsive behaviours are performed in an attempt to manage the anxiety produced by obsessions.
• Avoidance

  • People with OCD may attempt to reduce anxiety by keeping away from situations that trigger it.
  • This avoidance can lead people to avoid ordinary situations, interfering with their every day life.