Obsessive-compulsive disorder can involve unwanted thoughts and repetitive actions or mental routines. A thought’s presence does not by itself establish a diagnosis or its meaning. Complete this page briefly if useful, then bring it to a qualified clinician rather than revising it until it feels certain.
How to use this page
Use one brief pass if helpful. Broad descriptions are enough. Leave uncertainty in your answers and discuss concerns with an OCD-qualified clinician.
Describe the loop broadly
Name the situation, the urge to obtain certainty or reduce distress, and what you repeatedly do. Graphic thought details are unnecessary. Describe what the pattern costs in time, participation, or relationships.
Ask about specialized treatment
Ask about assessment and evidence-informed options, including exposure and response prevention when appropriate. A clinician should explain the rationale, collaboration, and adaptation. This page contains no instructions to conduct exposure or abruptly stop rituals alone.
Reflection prompts
Use these questions in conversation, on paper, or in the downloaded PDF. You may adapt or skip a prompt.
- What broad obsession or compulsion pattern do you want help with?
- What do you repeatedly do, mentally or physically, and what does it interrupt?
- How might completing or revising worksheets itself become part of the loop?
- What question about assessment or OCD-specific treatment will you bring to a clinician?