Common Signs of OCD in Adults

Signs of OCD in adults can interfere with your daily responsibilities and relationships. The behaviors can be embarrassing, and many people with OCD struggle to behave normally around others.

What is OCD?

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder affecting more than 1.2% of the American adult population. Our thoughts influence our emotions, and how we react to these emotions results in behaviors. With OCD, intrusive or obsessive thoughts lead to anxiety and fear, resulting in compulsive behaviors to relieve those emotions. The compulsive behaviors give temporary relief, but the obsessive thoughts quickly return.

The signs of OCD in adults can lead to trouble at work, school, and home. Many people with OCD feel helpless to stop their thoughts and compulsions. They may withdraw from society. When they engage in compulsive behaviors, they feel no pleasure. It is only a way to relieve the anxiety for a little while.

Common Signs of OCD in Adults

Most with OCD exhibit one or two signs of adult OCD. These behaviors go beyond wanting a clean kitchen, good personal hygiene, or going back to make sure you locked the back door. These behaviors are extreme and are the result of unwanted thoughts and fear. Only a mental health practitioner can diagnose OCD. Contact a mental health professional if you suspect you have OCD.

Washing hands – Someone with OCD may fear germs or getting sick. They may wash their hands to the extreme, resulting in dry, cracked, raw, or bleeding hands. They may overuse hand sanitizer and avoid touching surfaces or shaking hands with people.

Excessive cleaning – Germs and getting sick are a driving force behind many people with the type of OCD of excessive cleaning. They may clean a space several times using bleach and other products. They may need to complete a cleaning ritual before leaving the house for work or going to bed if they feel it is dirty again.

Checking appliances and locks – Checking and rechecking appliances and locks is another one of the signs of OCD in adults. This is an extreme behavior. For instance, the person may drive back home several times to ensure the doors and windows are locked. They may walk through the house and get out of bed numerous times to check the appliances.

Arranging items – Arranging, or ordering, items is a well-known sign of OCD. The person might arrange items to face out or in specific places. They may become enraged or anxious if someone bothers their carefully constructed order. Arranging items creates a sense of peace in a world where they may feel out of control.

Touching items in a pattern or several times – Touching items in a particular pattern becomes a ritual. For example, a person with OCD might touch specific items in the kitchen a particular number of times before turning off the light for the night. Although to the outsider, this may not make sense, the person with OCD fears that something terrible might happen if they do not complete the ritual. These beliefs are based on unwanted thoughts and negative emotions.

Counting in a pattern – Counting is a compulsive behavior. A person with OCD might count the steps they take or the number of stairs, taps, or objects. They might feel the compulsion to do an activity a specific number of times. For example, they might need to wait until a precise time on the clock to do a routine activity or pick up and set down their notebook three times before opening it.

Repeating a word or phrase to ward off something terrible happening – Some people with OCD believe that if they do not say a word or a phrase, something awful will happen to themselves or the people they love. They may always end a phone call with phrases like, “Be careful.” If they forget to say the phrase, they may experience debilitating fear and anxiety. They may call around trying to reach their loved one, imagining horrific scenarios until they hear their voice.

Hoarding – Hoarding may not be an official sign of OCD, but the behavior is rooted in obsession and compulsion. The person with hoarding tendencies feels safe and secure, albeit temporarily when surrounded by their belongings. They may refuse to throw away what others consider trash, like cardboard boxes, used paper plates, or plastic grocery bags. People who hoard may hoard everything from knick-knacks to trash to pets.

Help is Available for the Signs of OCD in Adults

Reach out to our office today at Texas Christian Counseling, Allen to schedule a session with a Christian counselor in Allen, Texas if you experience these signs of OCD in adults. Help is available. Obsessions and compulsions do not have to rule your life anymore. The therapists at Texas Christian Counseling, Allen offer the best evidence-based psychological methods combined with faith-based principles to tackle OCD and other mental conditions.

Contact our office today to schedule your first appointment.