What is Obsessive–compulsive disorder?
[[File:OCD handwash.jpg|thumb|Some people with OCD wash their hands often, as a compulsion.]] '''Obsessive–compulsive disorder''' ('''OCD''') is a [[Mental illness|mental disorder]]. It causes repeated and unwanted thoughts and/or feelings (obsessions). It causes repeated actions (compulsions). ==Overview== [[Anxiety]] is one of the most common [[symptom]]s. It can lead the person to believe that if a task is not done, something bad will happen. Such a task may be keeping the lights on, removing items that could hurt other people, or keeping their surroundings clean. This belief leads to more anxiety and tension. The actions that someone takes to stop the thoughts and feelings may take more than an hour every day. ==Symptoms== People affected by obsessive-compulsive disorder need to perform certain behaviours over and over again. Some compulsions deal with counting, ordering, checking, touching, and washing, seeking reassurance, or ruminating. Other disorders in this category include hoarding disorder,<ref>{{Cite web|title=ePathshala{{!}} Learning On The Go|url=http://ePathshala.nic.in|access-date=2025-01-12|website=epathshala.nic.in|language=en}}</ref> [[trichotillomania]] (hair-pulling disorder), and excoriation (skin-picking disorder) ===Obsessions=== Someone with obsessive–compulsive disorder has unwanted thoughts called obsessions. An obsession is an unwanted thought that happens over and over. It is a thought that the person does not want to have. It is normal to have obsessions, but what changes is how people react to the thoughts. People who do not have OCD are able to ignore bad thoughts and move on, or such thoughts do not cause them much distress or [[anxiety]]. People who have OCD find it very hard to ignore these thoughts. However, just because someone has unwanted thoughts does not always mean they have OCD. Other brain-based disorders that could result in intrusive thoughts such as [[Bipolar disorder]], [[Depression (mental illness)|Depression]], [[Body dysmorphic disorder]], and sometime