Obsessive Compulsive disorder refers to the presence of
obsessions (thoughts and images that cause distress) and
compulsions (behaviours that are an attempt to cope with or reduce
the distress associated with those experiences). People might have
thoughts about germs or contamination, doors being unlocked
or things being unsafe or not in the right order, or generally that
something bad is going to happen to them or their loved ones.
Examples of some behaviours associated with OCD include repeated
handwashing or checking doors, tapping, counting or repeating
certain words or arranging objects in a particular order.
When these behaviours take up a lot of time and cause
distress treatment may be required.