Health Topics for Mental and Emotional Health

Department of Psychiatry

Obsession and compulsion

You may have heard someone say to a person who seems too picky, "You are just obsessive-compulsive!" But what does it really mean?

An obsession is a thought, an idea, or an image that you cannot get out of your mind. Common obsessions involve doubts, fears, orderliness, aggression, and sexual images. A compulsion is a feeling that you have to do something. Compulsions are physical or mental acts that you perform over and over. Common compulsions include counting, washing, arranging and checking things again and again. When these tendencies are exaggerated, it is called an obsessive-compulsive disorder.

People with this disorder have:

• obsessions or compulsions or both
• obsessions or compulsions that cause distress or take up more than an hour a day or
• obsessions or compulsions that interfere with daily life

Obsessive-compulsive disorder affects millions of people. Males tend to get the disorder in childhood and females in their twenties. A specific counseling treatment called cognitive-behavior therapy is helpful. Several medicines and therapy can also help control symptoms.

A less severe problem is called obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. A personality disorder usually begins during the teenage years. It is a pattern of feelings and behavior that exceeds what is expected in a person's culture. These feelings and actions continue over time and cause problems. In this case, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder has nothing to do with true obsessions and compulsions. It is what people are thinking of when someone seems picky.

Signs include:

• becoming overly concerned with rules so they lose sight of the main point
• worrying so much about being perfect that they are late with projects or do not finish them at all
• workaholism, forgetting about family or friends
• being rigid, stubborn, and controlling
• saving things, not feeling comfortable throwing things away and
• difficulty spending money

Many of us have some of these tendencies. It is only when they hurt work or home life that they become a disorder. This disorder can be successfully treated with therapy and medication.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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