Obsessions are the unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images or urges that pop into your head and won’t go away. They create a lot of anxiety and discomfort, which can become unbearable. Compulsions, on the other hand, are the actions or mental rituals you feel driven to perform to try to get rid of that anxiety. While the compulsions might give you a bit of temporary relief, they often end up reinforcing the obsessions, keeping the cycle going.