Mrs.
Reena Tripathi
AnxietyDepressionStress
16+ years experience
New Delhi , Delhi
Condition Guide
OCD
Reduce intrusive thoughts, rituals, reassurance, and avoidance.
Overview
OCD involves recurring obsessions, such as unwanted thoughts, images, urges, or doubts, and/or compulsions, such as checking, washing, counting, mental rituals, reassurance-seeking, or avoidance. The cycle can consume time or cause significant distress and interfere with daily life. Intrusive thoughts are common and do not mean you want to act on them or that they reveal your character. OCD is different from simply liking order or being careful. A qualified clinician can assess the pattern and distinguish it from anxiety, trauma responses, psychosis, autism-related routines, depression, or other concerns.
Important medical informationThe signs on this page can have different causes. Only a qualified health professional can assess or diagnose you. Do not start, stop, or change prescribed treatment based on this guide.
How Therapy Helps
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a form of CBT, is a well-supported treatment for OCD. With a trained clinician, a person works through a shared plan to encounter relevant triggers in manageable steps while reducing compulsions and reassurance-seeking. It should never involve real danger, illegal activity, or acting against your values. Therapy can also include education about intrusive thoughts and acceptance-based skills. A qualified prescriber can discuss medication where appropriate; do not change medication without medical advice. Seek urgent local help if you feel unable to keep yourself or someone else safe.
Common Signs & Symptoms
You might be experiencing one or more of these symptoms:
Intrusive thoughts, images, urges, or doubts that feel disturbing or sticky
Checking, cleaning, counting, repeating, arranging, reviewing, or confessing rituals
Seeking reassurance, researching, mentally replaying, or trying to feel certain
Avoiding triggers, objects, people, places, or decisions that set off OCD fears
Feeling intense anxiety, guilt, disgust, or responsibility if rituals are resisted
Losing significant time or freedom to obsessions, compulsions, and avoidance
About this guide
Published by the TherapyHelps editorial teamLast updated: This guide provides educational information and does not replace an individual diagnosis or emergency care.Urgent support: If you or someone else is in immediate danger, at risk of self-harm, or experiencing a medical emergency, call 112 in India or go to the nearest emergency department. Do not rely on TherapyHelps as your only source of urgent help.
Related condition guides
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Specialized Therapists
Our qualified counselors and mental health professionals with experience supporting OCD.
Dr.
Dr. Basant Singh
AnxietyDepressionTrauma
10+ years experience
Jaipur, Rajasthan
Consultant Psychologist
Priyanka Saha
AnxietyDepressionTrauma
8+ years experience
Kolkata, West Bengal
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