- The essential features of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder are recurrent obsessions or compulsions that are severe enough to be time-consuming or cause distress or impairment.
- Obsessions are persistent ideas, thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress. The intrusive and inappropriate quality of the obsessions has been referred to as "ego-dystonic". This refers to the individual's sense that the content of the obsession is alien, not within his or her own control, and not the kind of thought that he or she would expect to have. The most common obsessions are repeated thoughts about contamination repeated doubts, the need to have things done in a particular order, aggressive or horrific impulses, and sexual imagery.
- Compulsions are repetitive behaviors such as hand washing, or mental acts such as praying and counting. The goal of such behavior is to prevent or reduce anxiety or distress, not to provide pleasure or gratification. By definition, compulsions are either clearly excessive or are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent. The most common compulsions involve washing and cleaning, counting, checking, requesting or demanding assurances, repeating actions, and ordering.
Criteria for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:
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obsessions or compulsions as described above at some point during the course of the disorder, the person has recognized that the obsessions or compulsions are excessive or unreasonable (this does not apply to children) the obsessions or compulsions cause marked distress, are time consuming, or significantly interfere with the person's normal routine, occupational or academic functioning or usual social activities or relationships the disturbance is not due to the direct physiologic effects of a substance or a general medical condition - Obsessions are persistent ideas, thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress. The intrusive and inappropriate quality of the obsessions has been referred to as "ego-dystonic". This refers to the individual's sense that the content of the obsession is alien, not within his or her own control, and not the kind of thought that he or she would expect to have. The most common obsessions are repeated thoughts about contamination repeated doubts, the need to have things done in a particular order, aggressive or horrific impulses, and sexual imagery.