Symptoms+of+OCD

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The main symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorders are recurrent obsessions or compulsions that interfere with a person’s life. The symptoms: ======
 * ======Take up to more than an hour a day or ======
 * ======Cause marked distress or significant impairment. ======

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At some point, the person is aware that the obsessions or compulsions are excessive or unreasonable and often they feel ashamed. (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2001) ======

**Common obsessions include**:

 * ======Fear of contamination (fear of dirt, germs, body fluids or disease). ======
 * ======Repeated doubting (whether the appliances are turned off, doors are locked, written work is accurate etc.). ======
 * ======Focused on exactness or order (of belongings, spoken or written words, and the way one moves or completes actions). ======
 * ======Aggressive impulses (thoughts of stabbing one’s children, pushing loved ones into traffic, ect.) ======
 * ======Religion (preoccupied with religious images and thoughts or fear of having blasphemous thoughts). ======
 * ======Fear of harming oneself or others (fear of being responsible for a fire or break in or poisoning self or others). ======
 * ======Sexual (thoughts about personally upsetting sexual acts). ======
 * ======Other miscellaneous obsessions having to do with themes such as lucky or unlucky colour or numbers, or with the need to know ‘trivial’ details (e.g. house numbers, license plate). (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2001) ======

**Common compulsions include:**
> ====== ======
 * ======Washing and cleaning (e.g. excessive showering, hand washing, house cleaning) ======
 * ======Checking (e.g. repeated checking paper work for mistakes, locks, appliances, driving routes). ======
 * ======<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Ordering or arranging (e.g. making sure objects are in certain order). ======
 * ======<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Counting (e.g. preferences for even or odd numbers, tabulating figures). ======
 * ======<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Hoarding (e.g. magazines, flyers, clothing, information). ======
 * ======<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Repeating actions or thoughts (e.g. turning lights on and off, getting up and down in chairs, re-reading, re-writing). ======
 * ======<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Need to ask or confess (e.g. asking for reassurance). ======
 * ======<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Repeating words, phrases, or prayers to one self (e.g. repeating ‘safe’ words or prayers. (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2001) ======