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10 most common obsessions of OCD

There are many different types of OCD, and each person with OCD may have different obsessions, or things that trigger their OCD. However, there are some common obsessions that many people with OCD experience.

I obsessively worry about making mistakes. I also obsessively worry about being embarrassed or humiliated. These obsessions cause me a great deal of anxiety and distress. I have to do certain things to try to relieve my anxiety, such as washing my hands over and over, checking and rechecking things, arranging things in a certain way, and avoiding people and places that I fear will trigger my obsessions.

Thomas, MI

Here are 10 of the most common OCD obsessions, and a brief explanation of each:

  1. Fear of contamination: This can include a fear of dirt, germs, or other substances that might cause illness. People with this type of OCD may obsessively wash their hands or clean their homes to try to avoid contamination.
  2. Fear of harm: This can include a fear of injury or death. People with this type of OCD may obsessively check things like appliances or locks to make sure they are safe, or avoid activities that could be potentially dangerous.
  3. Fear of losing control: This can include a fear of losing control of one’s emotions or actions. People with this type of OCD may obsessively check themselves for signs of anxiety or anger, or avoid situations that could trigger these emotions.
  4. Fear of making mistakes: This can include a fear of making mistakes at work, school, or in other areas of life. People with this type of OCD may obsessively check their work or re-do tasks to make sure they are perfect.
  5. Fear of dirt and germs: This can include a fear of contamination by dirt, germs, or other substances. People with this type of OCD may obsessively wash their hands or clean their homes to try to avoid contamination.
  6. Fear of being judged: This can include a fear of being judged by others for one’s thoughts, feelings, or actions. People with this type of OCD may avoid social situations or obsessively seek approval from others.
  7. Fear of harm to others: This can include a fear of harming others, either physically or emotionally. People with this type of OCD may avoid contact with others, or obsessively check on them to make sure they are safe.
  8. Fear of losing things: This can include a fear of losing important possessions or forgetting important information. People with this type of OCD may obsessively check their belongings or make lists to try to avoid losing anything.
  9. Fear of change: This can include a fear of change in one’s life, such as a change in job, relationship, or living situation. People with this type of OCD may avoid making changes or obsessively plan for every possible outcome.
  10. Fear of the unknown: This can include a fear of what might happen in the future or a fear of the unknown. People with this type of OCD may avoid new situations or obsessively plan for every possible outcome.

Be kind to your mind, try it:

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OCD, PTSD, and how to cope with both

After my car accident, I was diagnosed with PTSD. I was having intrusive thoughts about accidents and feeling like I was in danger all the time. I was also hypervigilant and always on the lookout for potential threats. My friends and family were trying to be supportive, but I felt like I was struggling to cope on my own. I still have days where I struggle. I am hopeful that with time and continued progress, I will be able to fully recover and live a normal life again.

Corinne, Canada

If you’ve experienced trauma, you may feel like you’re never going to feel normal again. The combination of OCD and trauma can add additional hardship.

When someone is obsessively thinking about a traumatic event, they are re-living the trauma over and over again in their mind. This can lead to flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts.

The person may also start to avoid anything that reminds them of the trauma, which can make it difficult to function in daily life. This can all lead to a downward spiral of anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts.

There are studies that show the relationship between OCD and PTSD.

5 symptoms of OCD and trauma

  1. Unwanted, intrusive thoughts that are difficult to control or stop.
  2. Excessive worry and anxiety about everyday situations.
  3. Compulsive behaviors or rituals that are performed in an attempt to ease anxiety or prevent certain thoughts from occurring.
  4. Avoidance of certain people, places, or things that trigger memories or thoughts of the trauma.
  5. flashbacks or intrusive memories of the trauma that can occur at any time.

Recovery

Studies about PTSD and OCD define recovery as strongly related to thinking and rituals: “effective treatment of trauma-related OCD is defined as the reduction in obsessional thoughts and compulsory rituals“.

The good news is that there are treatments available that can help you recover and heal. One of these treatments is called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

CBT is a type of therapy that helps you change the way you think about and react to your experiences. It can be used to treat a wide variety of mental health conditions, including trauma.

Here are some of the ways that CBT can help you recover from trauma:

  1. It can help you understand your reactions.

CBT can help you understand why you’re feeling the way you are. It can also help you see that your reactions are normal and that they don’t have to control your life.

  1. It can help you change the way you think about your experience.

CBT can help you challenge the negative thoughts and beliefs that you have about your experience. It can help you see that your experience is not who you are.

  1. It can help you change the way you react to your experience.

CBT can help you learn new ways of coping with your experience. It can help you deal with your emotions in a healthy way.

  1. It can help you connect with others.

CBT can help you build supportive relationships with others. These relationships can provide you with the social support you need to heal.

  1. It can help you take care of yourself.

CBT can help you develop healthy coping skills. These skills can help you take care of yourself physically and emotionally.

If you or someone you know is struggling with OCD, PTSD or a combination of the two, it’s important to seek professional help.

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Can changing the way you think help you cope with OCD?

It is now well documented that negative thinking habits affect people’s ability to deal with mental challenges. Multiple studies in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy show that OCD symptoms can improve by working on appraisals and adaptive thinking.

However, it is sometimes unclear what is the cause and what’s the effect: does OCD fuel negative thinking? or does negative thinking fuel OCD?

Common belief looks at OCD as some kind of an entity with its own mind. Trying to battle and control this entity is tiring and often fruitless.

One approach Cognitive Behavioral Therapy suggests is to look at OCD from a different angle – by dividing the cognitive process to two: controllable and uncontrollable thoughts.

When dealing with OCD, we can have all kinds of thoughts – some disturbing or annoying. One useful approach is letting these uncontrollable thoughts go by, without trying to control or change them.

There are two parts to this approach though: following these uncontrollable thoughts, we can have additional thoughts – that continue and build upon the negative story and strengthen it. These thoughts are actually something that we can control.

To give an example: I had a disturbing thought about me doing something bad. This thought was uncontrollable. I’d better just let is go and forget all about it.

Immediately after it, pop additional thoughts: maybe I’m a bad person? What if I did something bad? These thoughts seem as a logical progression from the original uncontrollable thought, but they are actually part of the story I’m telling myself.

So how do I avoid getting into the story?

Here we can use another technique. We give the story a name. Let’s name this story – “The story of me thinking disturbing thoughts and getting freaked out about being a bad person”. From now on, when I will have these thoughts, I will ask myself – “Do I want to tell myself the story of me thinking disturbing thoughts and getting freaked out about being a bad person?”

Is the answer yes? then maybe I do actually want to get into this story. But I have to now know that this was my choice. It is not some kind of external or uncontrollable entity that caused me to get into the story. It was me!

Is the answer no? Great, let’s try to not get into this story then. This was just a thought, and while it was disturbing and hard taking it in, I can cope with it.

Obviously, these are just suggestions. There are many techniques. For example, by using our OCD app, we can learn to let go of negative thoughts, and offer alternative, more adaptive thoughts that can come instead and replace the negative thoughts.

The main conclusion? Focus on the controllable, and make your new year helpful and supportive.

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OCD test: to check or not to check?

People who deal with OCD can often feel the urge to check. Constant checking can become a ritual.

Checking comes in many forms: making sure the door is locked, checking body temperature, monitoring relationships and checking to see if harm was done to self or others.

Due to the nature of constant checking, people who are diagnosed with OCD are advised to resist the urge to check. However, when treating OCD with CBT, or when self-managing OCD with a CBT based app, users are sometimes asked to take a self assessment that “tests their OCD” – in other words, take an OCD test.

The question that arises is therefore: is it advised to take the self-assessment and “check” my OCD? Or does it have the potential to negatively affect our ability to deal with OCD and improve?

Professor Guy Doron, co-founder of GGtude and the expert behind GG OCD app, says that it’s OK to take the assessment when advised by a professional psychologist. However, re-doing the OCD self assessment is unhelpful. “As a guide, just complete the assessment and go on to complete the daily exercises,” Prof. Doron adds.

Living with OCD is challenging. But thankfully, it’s also a treatable disorder and professional help can be an effective way to reduce checking and checking urges. 

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OCD Test: what it means about you?

There are thousands of daily searches with the term “OCD test”, as people go online to seek help with their condition and try to assess their situation and diagnosis.

One of the most commonly used assessment scales for OCD is Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (OCI). It breaks up obsessive compulsive disorder into 42 items, that are divided to 7 parts: Washing, Checking, Doubting, Ordering, Obsessing Hoarding, and Mental Neutralising.

OCI-R is a shorter OCD test, that uses just 18 questions instead of the original 42. There is also a newer, shorter version with just 4 questions (OCI-4).

There are various tools online that use this scale as well as others.

What your OCD test means about me?

  1. Assessments can be a good first step toward getting treatment.
  2. The score itself is just a number. It takes your subjective input and then, using data from previous research, outputs a score.
  3. A higher score means you are more likely to be suffering from OCD or related condition.
  4. This score can be used as a guide whether you should seek professional help for your condition.
  5. You can use the questions as a guide in order to better understand the condition you may be suffering from.

What your OCD test doesn’t mean about me?

  1. Getting a certain result doesn’t mean you have OCD.
  2. Seeking help is recommended if you feel distressed, regardless of the test score.
  3. Never use self-assessment tools as medical advice. Always consult with you doctor.

General information about OCD tests

  1. It’s not recommended to take tests too often. Try not to re-check your condition and focus on coping and recovery.
  2. Make sure whatever OCD test you take online, it has a privacy policy that clearly states that the information you provide is confidential.
  3. If you suffer from OCD, we strongly recommend that you seek help from a mental health professional in order to receive a proper diagnosis and support.

Feel free to try our OCD Test and see for yourself.

Be kind to your mind, try it:

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