About Obessions

About Obessions

Obsessions are thoughts, images, or impulses that occur over and over again and feel out of your control. The person does not want to have these ideas. He finds them disturbing and intrusive, and usually recognizes that they don't really make sense. People with OCD worry excessively about dirt and germs and become obsessed with the idea that they are contaminated or contaminate others. They may have Obessive fears of having inadvertently harmed someone else even though they usually know this is not realistic. Obessions are accompanied by uncomfortable feelings, such as fear, disgust, doubt, or a sensation that things have to be done in a way that is "just so."

About Compulsion

People with OCD try to make their Obessions go away by performing compulsions. Compulsions are acts the person performs over and over again, often according to certain "rules." People with an obsession may wash constantly to the point their hands become raw and inflamed. A person may repeatedly check that she has turned off the stove or iron because of an Obessive fear of burning the house down. OCD compulsions do not give the person pleasure. Rather, the rituals are performed to obtain relief from the discomfort caused by the Obessions.