Types of OCD: Why Compulsions Are Not Always Visible
Most people picture obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as washing hands too often or checking a lock repeatedly before leaving the house. That picture isn’t wrong, but it’s incomplete. A lot of what OCD looks like happens quietly, inside someone’s head, where nobody else can see it. Understanding the different types of OCD starts with recognizing that […]
Signs of OCD: When Thoughts and Habits Start Taking Over
Most people picture obsessive-compulsive disorder as someone who likes a tidy desk or lines their pens up just so. The real experience runs deeper than that. It centers on unwanted thoughts and the responses a person feels driven to repeat, again and again, even when they would rather stop. Sometimes, those responses are easy to […]
The Science of Intrusive Thoughts: How OCD Manifests in Everyday Life
You’re brushing your teeth or walking the dog. Suddenly, your brain lobs a thought at you: What if I stabbed someone with a knife? It hits out of nowhere. Disturbing, maybe even scary. But it’s gone just as fast for most people. For someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder, it’s not that simple. That thought might stick. […]