The Many Forms of OCD
02 of 07The thing you see someone doing is only part of the story.
These are common themes, and they can overlap or shift over time. Two people with the same theme may have very different rituals.
- Contamination: fear of germs, illness or being “dirty”, often with washing or cleaning
- Checking: doors, appliances, messages or whether you made a mistake
- Order: wanting things to be perfect or “just right”, such as arranging things until they feel balanced, stepping around particular tiles or repeating a movement until it feels complete
- Harm: unwanted thoughts of hurting someone, or of being responsible for something bad happening
- Relationships: constant doubt about whether you love your partner, whether they’re “right”, or whether they are going to love you or leave
- Religion and morality: fear of having sinned, or of being a bad person (sometimes called scrupulosity)
