Mou Wilson, MA, MFT

Obsessions often have themes to them, such as:
* Fear of contamination or dirt
* Having things orderly and symmetrical
* Aggressive or horrific impulses
* Sexual images or thoughts
OCD symptoms involving obsessions may include:
* Fear of being contaminated by shaking hands or by touching objects others have touched
* Doubts that you've locked the door or turned off the stove
* Thoughts that you've hurt someone in a traffic accident
* Intense distress when objects aren't orderly or facing the right way
* Images of hurting your child
* Impulses to shout obscenities in inappropriate situations
* Avoidance of situations that can trigger obsessions, such as shaking hands
* Replaying pornographic images in your mind
* Dermatitis because of frequent hand washing
* Skin lesions because of picking at your skin
* Hair loss or bald spots because of hair pulling

OCD compulsion symptoms
OCD compulsions are repetitive behaviors that you feel driven to perform. These repetitive behaviors are meant to prevent or reduce anxiety or distress related to your obsessions. For instance, if you believe you ran over someone in your car, you may return to the apparent scene over and over because you just can't shake your doubts. You may also make up rules or rituals to follow that help control the anxiety you feel when having obsessive thoughts.
As with OCD obsessions, compulsions typically have themes, such as: * Washing and cleaning
* Counting
* Checking
* Demanding reassurances
* Performing the same action repeatedly
* Orderliness
OCD symptoms involving compulsions may include: * Hand washing until your skin becomes raw
* Checking doors repeatedly to make sure they're locked
* Checking the stove repeatedly to make sure it's off
* Counting in certain patterns
* Making sure all your canned goods face the same way
There's a difference between being a perfectionist and having obsessive-compulsive disorder.Obsessive-compulsive disorder can be so severe and time-consuming that it literally becomes disabling. You may be able to do little else but spend time on your obsessions and compulsions.