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How to know if I have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

How to know if I have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

March 28, 2024

Has it happened to you that you ever come back on repeated occasions to see if the door of the house is properly closed, order by size and color everything you find around you or wash your hands very often? Good, these are some possible behaviors in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) . But do not spread panic! Next we will see what this peculiar disorder consists of and we will review some help to know if you have it or not.

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Basic diagnostic criteria of OCD

For a person to be diagnosed with OCD You have to meet some criteria reviewed by the health professional. The first is that you must present obsession, compulsion or both. But ... what is an obsession and what is a compulsion?


The obsessions are thoughts, impulses or recurring images that are characterized by being intrusive and unwanted. This causes anxiety and discomfort in the person. They must be egodistonic, that is, go against one's personality. For example, it happens to a person characterized by being quiet, kind and empathetic who has intrusive thoughts of hurting someone. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors and / or mental acts performed in order to prevent or lessen the anxiety and discomfort caused by obsessions. When you do it, you get relief, and when you do not, anxiety increases.

Obsessions and / or compulsions they require a lot of time and can cause clinical discomfort or deterioration in various areas in which the person is immersed (work, study, family). You have to be very careful not to confuse your symptoms with side effects of drugs, illness or other disorders. The onset of this disorder is more common in adulthood and is more frequent in women.


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Degrees of introspection

There are different degrees of introspection in OCD . That is, the degree to which people believe that what happens in their intrusive thoughts will happen if certain repetitive behavior is not performed. The person will believe that intrusive thoughts are likely to manifest (obsession) if he does not do the iterative behavior (compulsion).

For example, the person who locks all the doors and windows and will verify on many occasions that they are well placed, since he believes that if he does not do that he could die. These behaviors become constant rituals , given that one has the feeling that in case of not performing these acts, the obsession will become a material reality.

What you should know

Now you can breathe easy! Or not. You already have all the basic information to intuit if your repetitive behaviors are or not a TOC.


If you perform or have performed repeated behaviors, you can do the exercise analyze the objective of such behavior . That is the key to clarify your doubt of whether or not you have a TOC. Check the door a lot to make sure it is closed, always walk on the left side, always fit the glasses, bite your lips at all times, organize objects by size and color or wash your hands frequently ... are behaviors that yes, they do not say much. It is essential to identify if these acts seek or have the objective of eradicating or diminishing an obsession.

We must also be aware of not being confused with obsessive-compulsive personality traits or with symptoms of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, which are subjects for another article.

Due to the effectiveness of treating OCD when it is just emerging, it is important that you go to a mental health professional if you observe some kind of intrusive thought and / or behavior or repetitive mental act, since only in this way can the definitive diagnosis be made.

Bibliographic references:

  • American Psychiatric Association., Et al. DSM-5: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed. Madrid

Psychological Disorders : Definition of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (March 2024).


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