OCD, explained

You might often hear people say, oh I'm so OCD, if they are particular about certain things. But being particular and having

obsessive compulsive disorder are very different. We all do things repetitively from time to time and we

sometimes have all-consuming thoughts. The difference is that for people with OCD, obsessive thoughts are constant and compulsive behaviors

need to be performed exactly. Not doing those behaviors cause you serious distress and disruption.

It works like this. An obsession, like having things in perfect order, causes anxiety. In response to that anxiety, you

feel an urge to do a repetitive behavior, for example like excessively checking to see if you lock your house or your apartment before you leave.

But if it doesn't happen exactly the way you need it to, you may find it hard, even impossible, to function until it does.

And it happens over and over and over again. If you have OCD, you may recognize this as excessive, even nonsensical.

And still be unable to control your actions and it can take up hours of your day. Thankfully, OCD can be treated usually with medication,

psychotherapy, or both. If you think you have OCD, the first step is to find a health care provider you trust. Together, you can develop a plan to treat and manage your OCD.