Obsessions are repeating ideas, thoughts, impulses, or images that feel intrusive and inappropriate and cause extreme anxiety. An individual will suppress an obsession by a thought or an action. This thought or action soon becomes a compulsion, which is performed repeatedly in order to decrease anxiety, not for pleasure. The compulsion is extreme, and in no realistic way connects to what it is supposed to prevent. If you or someone you know is experiencing any of the following symptoms, then OCD could be the reason why.
Evidence also demonstrates a genetic connection.
For example, there is a higher incidence of OCD in identical twins than in fraternal twins. The rate of OCD in first-degree biological relatives of people with the disorder is also higher than in the general population. The most effective treatment for OCD is therapy involving exposure and ritual prevention. The most successful results come from studies in which exposure was directed by a therapist who planned the treatment with the patient's help. The exposure was the patient's responsibility, but the execution was both planned and discussed in therapy sessions.