Let’s be real: OCD gets misunderstood all the time. You’ve probably heard someone say, “I’m so OCD because I love my home organized!” But OCD is not a personality quirk or a preference for cleanliness. It’s not about being tidy, or responsible, or liking things a certain way.
OCD is actually a specific, diagnosable pattern of intrusive thoughts and anxiety that pushes a person into mental or physical rituals. If you’re living with OCD, you’re not “quirky”, rather you’re stuck in a cycle that can feel exhausting and overwhelming.
OCD Is Not Just Cleaning or Organizing
People with OCD often know their fears don’t make logical sense and that’s part of the distress. The overwhelming anxiety or distress comes not from the situation itself, but from the feeling of not being able to trust your mind. Which is why OCD is often referred to as “the doubting disorder”
Someone might:
• check the door lock repeatedly
• re-read a message dozens of times
• replay a memory trying to “make sure” they didn’t offend someone
• mentally review whether they might have harmed someone
• seek reassurance over and over
This isn’t preference but rather is an attempt to feel relief.
Obsessions + Compulsions: The Core of OCD
At its root, OCD has two parts:
Obsessions. These are intrusive, unwanted thoughts, images, or worries. An example may be “What if I accidentally hurt someone?”, “What if I did something wrong and forgot?”, or
“What if I’m secretly a bad person?”
And compulsions. These are the actions (physical or mental) you do to reduce the anxiety. For example checking, repeating, analyzing, seeking reassurance through research (googling) or through verbal reassurance, repeating phrases mentally, or avoiding situations.
The problem is, the compulsions don’t fix the problem but rather make the cycle stronger.
“But Everyone Has Weird Thoughts Sometimes…”
Yes, intrusive thoughts are universal.
What makes OCD different is how your brain responds to the thoughts:
Someone without OCD thinks:
“That was a weird thought,” and moves on.
Someone with OCD thinks:
“What does that thought mean about me?”
“Why did I think that?”
“I need to fix or neutralize it.”
Common Types of OCD (That Aren’t Talked About Enough)
• Contamination OCD
• Harm OCD
• Relationship OCD
• Checking OCD
• Sexuality or identity OCD
• Religious/moral scrupulosity OCD
• Pure-O / mental compulsions
These are often invisible to the outside eye, which makes the experience feel even more isolating.
OCD Is Treatable (You’re Not Broken)
OCD is something we can work with gently, compassionately, and step-by-step. You don’t have to fight with your brain alone. Support helps, and there is a path forward.
If you’re curious whether what you’re experiencing might be OCD, I offer therapy for clients across Ontario virtually. You’re welcome to reach out and I’d be glad to connect.