Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is defined as a disorder that includes two core symptoms- obsessions and compulsions. According to the Census for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obsessions are defined by:
- Thoughts, impulses, or images that occur over and over again. These thoughts, impulses or images are unwanted. They cause a lot of anxiety and stress.
- The person who has these thoughts, impulses or images tries to ignore them or tries to make them go away.
Compulsions are defined as:
- Repeated behaviors or thoughts over and over again or according to certain rules that must be followed exactly in order to make an obsession go away.
- The person feels that the purpose of the behaviors or thoughts is to prevent or reduce distress or prevent some feared event or situation.