Behavioral Checking (Overt Checking)
Many examples of compulsive checking rituals in OCD involve direct inspection of a target stimulus by sight, sound, or feel.
Common OCD checking behaviors include relocking doors, visually examining the position of one’s parking brake, or holding one’s hands above stove burners in order to detect warmth.
Behavioral checking is often … (read more)
Compulsive checking often begins innocently enough. One check here, two checks there…
But OCD’s greed knows no bounds.
What starts out as a simple check “just to make sure” eventually spirals into disabling OCD doubt that can come to predominate innumerable situations and scenarios.
Checking behaviors often emerge in situations in which “being irresponsible” might … (read more)
Fear of Being Gay (Homosexual OCD / HOCD)
Emerging sexuality can be confusing for any teen or young adult, and gay teens face a variety of unique challenges over the course of adolescence.
In addition to learning to understand their own sexuality, gay teens must navigate complex situations and pressures that may not be relevant … (read more)
Sexual obsessions in OCD are recurrent unwanted sexual thoughts, such as the fear of being attracted to something unwanted, taboo, or morally “unacceptable” based on one’s particular worldview. Although all forms of OCD can be debilitating, sexual obsessions can be especially confusing and disabling for sufferers because sexual obsessions target one’s fundamental identity as a … (read more)
Symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a somatoform disorder that closely resembles obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder include excessive concern about perceived physical flaws, defects, or imperfections.
Individuals with body dysmorphic disorder become obsessed with these unwanted aspects of their appearance and perform a variety of … (read more)
What is Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)?
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is not formally classified as an anxiety disorder; however, it shares many overlapping features with anxiety disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
In contrast to OCD which typically focuses on specific external feared outcomes, body dysmorphic disorder involves hyper-attention to one or more perceived bodily … (read more)
Anxiety, Worry, & What If Questions
If you have anxiety, it’s likely that you wrestle with worry and “what if” questions. Many what if questions are easily recognizable and start with the obvious, “What if…?” Others are more subtle and begin with phrases like “How am I ever going to…?”
By definition, what if questions … (read more)
“Hit and run” OCD involves the fear of accidentally hitting a pedestrian while driving. In most cases of hit-and-run obsessive-compulsive disorder, fears focus on unintentionally killing, injuring, or maiming a victim. Other individuals worry about causing car accidents or causing other vehicles to swerve and hit pedestrians.
Fear of Driving
Hit-and-run OCD, or motor … (read more)
What is Scrupulosity?
Scrupulosity is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) characterized by religious and/or moral obsessions. Scrupulosity can sometimes be difficult to recognize because even within a single faith community, religious beliefs and practices vary widely. There is no singular belief or behavior that is diagnostic for scrupulosity.
Instead, scrupulosity is best regarded as … (read more)
Question: I have scrupulosity (religious/moral obsessive-compulsive disorder), and I am triggered by religious posts on Facebook.
When I see a religious post, I feel like I have to repost it or God will be mad at me. I also worry about what other people think about these reposts, which then leads me to fear that … (read more)
