The following are 2 case examples of persons suffering from OCD.

"Mrs. A is constantly afraid of catching cancer from contact with other people. She is particularly afraid of touching people who may have been in hospital where cancer patients have treatment. She tries to avoid touching anyone because they may have touched someone else who has had contact with cancer. Because of this she tries to avoid going out of the house at all. If she does touch someone, she has to wash her hands and her clothes extremely thoroughly, sometimes taking hours. She also insists that her husband and children should take off their clothes and wash themselves thoroughly whenever they come into the house. Her family is becoming increasingly impatient with this. They are also beginning to resent her constant demands that they should tell her in great detail about whether they have been. This is so that she can be reassured that they have not been anywhere 'dangerous'. She knows these fears are unrealistic but she cannot rid herself of the worry that she will catch cancer if she does not take these precautions."

"Mr. B feels he constantly has to check things in order to prevent some mishap. Getting out of the house can take him over an hour. He has to go round the whole house repeatedly checking that ashtrays do not have burning cigarette ends, plugs are unplugged, switches, water and gas taps are switched off and repeated a certain number of times before he can be sure that they have been done 'properly'. At work he is always behind because he has to check and recheck everything he does in case he has missed some small mistake. Again, he feels that his precautions are really too extreme, but whenever he tries not to carry out his checks he feels so uncomfortable that he soon gives in and does check."

All of us double check things once in a while. We worry if we left the stove on, or remembered to lock the door at night. This may worsen during times of stress and is quite normal, experienced by many people, and not necessarily a sign of OCD. In fact the tendency to double check, be organized and orderly are valued personality features in a variety of detail-oriented fields; including accounting, computer programming and scientific research.

OCD is more extreme. People with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder feel the need to check things repeatedly, or perform routines and rituals over and over which causes a lot of distress. It significantly affects a person's ability to function in every day activities, at work, with family, and one's social life.

It is a serious disorder, the cause of a number of intertwined and complex factors which include genetics, biology, personality and the way we deal with stress.

People suffering from OCD have obsessions and compulsions-

Obsessions are repetitive thoughts that range from ideas around losing control; e.g. "I am going to injure my child", religion; e.g. forbidden sexual images, cleanliness; e.g. ''my hands may be contaminated" to doing things perfectly, needing exactness, symmetry or orderliness. These thoughts tend to be intrusive, repetitive, senseless, and produce a high degree of anxiety or emotions like disgust. People with OCD recognize that the thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of their mind and are excessive or unreasonable. However, they find it difficult to control them by logic or reasoning.

Compulsions are repetitive behaviours that a person engages in to get relief from the obsessions. The most common of these are washing and checking (e.g., making sure the gas from the oven has been turned off). Other compulsive behaviours include counting, repeating, hoarding, and endlessly rearranging objects in an effort to keep them in precise alignment with each other, mentally repeating phrases and list making. Some people with OCD have strictly practised rituals while others have rituals that are complex and changing. Sometimes it can be dangerous and harmful as well, like washing ones hands till they bleed.

Treatment

Performing rituals may give the person with OCD some relief from anxiety, but it is only temporary and may take up the entire day, interfering in normal daily routine. Help is available for OCD in the form of medication and specific forms of psychotherapy. Treatment does more than affect symptoms alone, it may improve the individual's ability to attend school, work, develop and enjoy relationships, and pursue leisure activities.

A counsellor would help the individual understand whether or not he suffers from OCD, but a referral to a medical practitioner such as a psychiatrist would be necessary for adequate treatment. Counseling would provide supportive help.