Obsessive
Compulsive
Disorder (OCD)

Characteristics

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder can make you get “stuck” on an electronic display, e.g. computer, Nintendo and TV. This can lead to an electronic addiction, which can make school appear boring and tedious. Asking questions over and over and over again is another stuck place. Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? Examples of where a child can get stuck are: Textures that bother them for tactile reasons Getting their sock's seams feeling “just right.” They can have terrible meltdowns while trying to put their socks and shoes on

While many people may at times feel and do items on these lists of characteristics, the individual is considered OCD when the actions and thoughts become compulsive and can interfere with daily normal behaviors. These behaviors can be difficult for outsiders to interpret. As an example, a child may appear to have difficulty reading due to a phonemic synthesis problem when actually he is experiencing OCD behavior and is counting all the words that have exactly five letters.

Common Obsessions

• Symmetry and order
• “Just Right feeling” (see below)
• Doubting and worrying (leads to indecisiveness)
• Perfectionism (work, words, people, appearance)
• Need to experience sensations (burn, cuts)
• Dirt, germs, cleanliness, contamination
• Counting or lucky numbers or words
• Aggressive thoughts or images (sexual or gruesome)
• Dangerous or terrifying thoughts
• Religious or moral scrupulosity

Common Compulsions

• “Just Right syndrome” (see below)
• Ordering, counting, arranging, evening up, checking
• Touching, fiddling
• Cleanliness, smelling objects
• Superstitions
• Doing what is forbidden
• Needing to finish or ask same questions
• Stuck/perseverating, repeating, erasing, rewriting
• Picking, nail biting, pulling hair (Trichotillomania)