Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) usually begins in adolescence or young adulthood and is seen in as many as one in 200 children and adolescents. OCD is characterized by recurrent obsessions and/or compulsions that are intense enough ...  Read more... »

Contamination Obsessions Concern with dirt or germs. Excessive concern with environmental contaminants. Examples: asbestos, radiation, pesticides or toxic waste. Excessive concern with household items. Examples: cleansers, solvents. Concern or disgust with bodily waste or secretions. Examples: urine, feces or ...  Read more... »

OCD can be relentless. If untreated, OCD is usually chronic and follows a waxing and waning course. That is, symptoms may get somewhat better for months or even years, only to get worse again before ...  Read more... »

Before the late 1960s, OCD was generally considered unresponsive to a range of conventional therapies. Traditional talk therapy based on psychoanalytic principles was rarely successful in reducing the severity of obsessions or compulsions. Understanding and ...  Read more... »

There is no reliable diagnostic test for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The diagnosis is usually based on a thorough face-to-face interview conducted by an experienced mental health professional. Perhaps someday, as we learn more about the ...  Read more... »

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an illness that affects thoughts and actions and is believed to be rooted in a biochemical imbalance of the brain. OCD is classified as an anxiety disorder in the Diagnostic and ...  Read more... »

Much of the confusion in the professional and lay literature regarding the differences between OCD and other conditions stems from the many different uses of the words obsession and compulsion. To be true symptoms of ...  Read more... »