Do I Have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

A Checklist of Common OCD Symptoms

Adapted from Brain Lock by Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz

Check all obsessive-compulsive symptoms that you are experiencing. Click on "Process List" to produce a summary report for you to print out. Please note that this OCD symptom report is for information only and will not be used to render a diagnosis. You are encouraged to share your report with your qualified mental health professional.


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Obsessions about Dirt and Contamination

Unfounded fears of contracting a dreadful illness
Excessive concerns about dirt and germs (including the fear of spreading germs to others); and environmental contaminants, such as household cleaners
Feelings of revulsion about bodily waste and secretions
Obsessions about one's body
Abnormal concerns about sticky substances or residues

Obsessive Need for Order or Symmetry

An overwhelming need to align objects "just so"
Abnormal concerns about the neatness of one's personal appearance or one's environment

Obsessions about Hoarding or Saving

Stashing away useless trash (such as old newspapers or items rescued from trash cans)
The inability to discard anything because it "may be needed sometime," a fear of losing something or discarding something by mistake

Obsessions with Sexual Content

Unwanted sexual thoughts that one views as inappropriate and unacceptable
Fear of molesting a child, despite no desire to do so
Fears that one may be homosexual

Repetitive Rituals

Repeating routine activities for no logical reason
Repeating questions over and over
Rewording or rewriting words or phrases

Nonsensical Doubts

Unfounded fears that one has failed to do some routine task (such as paying the mortgage or signing a check)

Religious Obsessions (Scrupulosity)

Troublesome blasphemous or sacrilegious thoughts
Excessive concerns about morality and right or wrong

Obsessions with Aggressive Content

The fear of having caused some fatal tragedy (such as a fatal fire)
Repeated intruding images of violence
The fear of acting out a violent thought (such as stabbing or shooting someone)
The irrational fear of having hurt someone (for example the fear of having hit someone while driving)

Obsessions with Food and Weight

Preoccupation with foods or food measurements
Rituals involving food (for example making sure that every bite is the same size, not letting foods touch on plate, etc.)
Irrational fears that some foods are bad or must be avoided
Being overly concerned about one's weight (for example weighing one's self several times a day)

Superstitious Fears

The belief that certain numbers are "lucky" or "unlucky"
Excessive, ritualized hand-washing, showering, bathing, or tooth-brushing
The unshakable feeling that household items, such as dishes, are contaminated and cannot be washed enough to be "really clean"

Compulsions about Having Things Just Right

The need for symmetry and total order in one's environment (for example, the need to line up canned goods in the pantry in alphabetical order, to hang clothes in the exact same spot in the closet every day, or to wear certain clothes only on certain days)
The need to keep doing something until one gets it "just right"

Hoarding Compulsions

Minutely inspecting household trash in case some "valuable" item has been thrown out
Accumulating useless objects

Checking Compulsions

Repeatedly checking to see if a door is locked or an appliance is turned off
Checking to make certain one has not harmed someone (for example, driving around and around the block to see if anyone has been run over)
Checking and rechecking for mistakes (such as when balancing a checkbook)
Checking associated with bodily obsessions (such as repeatedly checking oneself for signs of a catastrophic disease)

Other Compulsions

Pathological slowness in carrying out even the most routine activities
Blinking or staring rituals
Asking over and over for reassurance (ask a loved one if you're not sure!)
Behaviors based on superstitious beliefs (such as fixed bedtime rituals to "ward off" evil or the need to avoid stepping on cracks in the sidewalk)
A feeling of dread if some arbitrary act is not performed
The overpowering need to tell someone something or to ask someone something or to confess something
The need to touch, tap or rub certain objects repeatedly
Counting compulsions: counting panes in windows or billboards along a highway, for example
Mental rituals, such as reciting silent prayers in a effort to make a bad thought go away
Excessive list making

Comments:

List your comments or any other symptoms you think may be caused by OCD.



 

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ob·ses·sion n. 1. Compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea or an unwanted feeling or emotion, often accompanied by symptoms of anxiety. 2. A compulsive, often unreasonable idea or emotion.

com·pul·sion n. 1. a. The act of compelling. b. The state of being compelled. 2. a. An irresistible impulse to act, regardless of the rationality of the motivation. b. An act or acts performed in response to such an impulse.

anx·i·e·ty n. 1. a. A state of uneasiness and apprehension, as about future uncertainties. b. A cause of anxiety: For some people, air travel is a real anxiety. 2. Psychiatry: A state of intense apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the anticipation of a threatening event or situation, often to a degree that the normal physical and psychological functioning of the affected individual is disrupted.

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