Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

Obsessions are repeated thoughts, urges, or mental images that cause anxiety, while Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that a person with OCD feels the urge to do in response to an obsessive thought.

There are eight categories of disorders listed in this section, all of which have associated obsessions (repeated thoughts) or compulsions (repeated activities).

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

OCD is characterized by repetitive and intrusive thoughts or images that are unwelcome (obsessions) or repetitive behaviors that the person feels compelled to do (compulsions) or both. Most often, the compulsions are done to reduce the anxiety associated with the obsessive thought.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

Body dysmorphic disorder is characterized by a distressing and impairing preoccupation with an imagined or slight defect in appearance. If the belief is held with delusional intensity, then delusional disorder, somatic type, might be diagnosed.

Hoarding Disorder.

Hoarding disorder is a behavioral pattern of accumulating items in a compulsive manner that may or may not have any utility to the person. The person is unable to get rid of those items even though they may create hazardous situations in the home such as risk of fire.

Trichotillomania or Hair-Pulling Disorder.

Trichotillomania is characterized by repeated hair pulling causing noticeable hair loss. It may occur anywhere on the body (e.g., head, eyebrows, pubic area).

Excoriation or Skin-Picking Disorder.

Skin-picking disorder is marked by the compulsive need to pick at one’s skin to the point of doing physical damage.

Substance/Medication-Induced Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

This disorder is characterized by obsessive or compulsive behavior that is secondary to the use of a medication or a substance such as abuse of cocaine that can cause compulsive skin picking (called formication).

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Due to Another Medical Condition.

The cause of either obsessive or compulsive behavior is due to a medical condition, as sometimes may occur after a streptococcal infection.

Other Specified Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorder.

This category includes a group of disorders such as obsessional jealousy in which one person has repeated thoughts about infidelity in the spouse or partner. It must be distinguished from a delusional belief such as Koro, which is a disorder found in South and East Asia in which the person believes the genitalia are shrinking and disappearing into the body; and body-focused repetitive behavior disorder in which the person engages in a compulsive behavioral pattern such as nail biting or lip chewing.