Is your mind overrun by unwanted, intrusive thoughts or disturbing images? Do you worry about terrible things happening? Do you question your very identity and look for signs your worst fears may be true or untrue? Do you think these thoughts over and over? Are you feeling alone or isolated because you’re ashamed of what’s in your head? Do you find yourself doing things over and over to try to compensate for the thoughts? If so, you are probably one of the millions of people who suffer from OCD.
If you suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors tend to become very time-consuming. Daily, they interfere with your life, impact functioning at home, work, and during social interactions, and can affect your self-esteem and self-concept.
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OCD Sub-Types
OCD can manifest in different ways in different people. Most people think of OCD as a “hand-washing” or “checking the door” disorder. In reality, OCD is far from the pop-cultural depiction, although it may include hand-washing and checking the door, there are several sub-types of OCD.
Usually, specific symptom types tend to be relatively stable over time, but some people experience a change in the focus and nature of their symptoms. It is possible to have symptoms of more than one type at the same time. Usually, the majority of OCD sufferers are consistent with a particular subtype.