Adults
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Working on unwanted, distressing thoughts that come to mind and the repeated behaviours used to ease the distress they cause.
- Obsessive thoughts
- Repeated checking and cleaning
- Mental rituals
In obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), unwanted, distressing thoughts, images or urges come into a person's mind (obsessions). To reduce the anxiety these thoughts cause, certain behaviours or mental acts are repeated (compulsions). The relief is short-lived and the cycle starts again.
How can you recognise it?
- Persistent thoughts about contamination, causing harm, making mistakes or disorder
- Checking, washing, counting or arranging over and over
- Words or prayers repeated in your mind to “neutralise” a thought
- Spending more than an hour a day on these thoughts and behaviours
- Knowing the thoughts are irrational yet being unable to stop them
What happens in therapy?
The most extensively researched approach for OCD is exposure and response prevention, part of cognitive behavioural therapy. You make contact with anxiety-provoking situations in small, controlled steps while working on not carrying out the compulsion. Over time, the mind learns that anxiety can ease even without the ritual. Mindfulness work that teaches you to observe thoughts rather than fight them also supports the process.
When should you seek support?
If several of these signs have lasted for weeks and are affecting your work, relationships or sleep, seeing a mental health professional can be a good step.
This page was written by Zeynep Hilal Çelik and last reviewed on 27 October 2026.
