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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety based condition which can affect anyone of any age, culture, gender or social background.

OCD sufferers can experience intrusive and repetitive thoughts and images which they find extremely difficult to ignore. Examples include the need to check regularly that doors and windows are locked, repetitive washing of hands due to contamination fears and arranging items in a particular order.

Quite often the sufferer will fear that if these rituals aren’t carried out there will be consequences. For example an OCD sufferer may fear that their house will be burgled if they don’t regularly check that doors and windows are locked. The fact that the house isn’t burgled often fuels the need to keep checking, because the suffer may believe the checking stops them being burgled.

Many of us will experience similar feelings in our lives. However, in some cases it can become detrimental to the sufferers relationships, work and social life. More information relating to OCD and its treatment can be found here