According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), OCD affects about 2.2 million Americans. Though the median age of onset of OCD is 19 (with one-quarter of cases linked to an onset age of 14), one-third of adults with OCD first had symptoms as children.
Over and Over: OCD Habits
One of the most important signs of OCD is regularly repeated actions (like the stove and lock checking above). According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), those with OCD do the same rituals over and over such as washing hands, locking and unlocking doors, counting, keeping unneeded items, or repeating the same steps again and again.
Here’s the thing: in the case of this anxiety disorder, these actions feel compulsory. Sufferers feel as if they absolutely HAVE to perform these rituals. It’s not a maybe; it’s a must.
In the example above, if you try not to check the locks, you will feel extremely uncomfortable. Consequently, you’ll obsess about it until you do. And once you perform this action, you will better -- at least temporarily.
Thoughts seem to get stuck in sufferers' heads. Now don’t confuse this with the typical song from the radio that gets stuck on “mental repeat.” These repetitive thoughts will be much more expansive.
Truthfully, they can manifest in a multitude of ways. For example, a visual image of something disturbing may reappear consistently. And no matter how hard sufferers try, it won’t stop.