The NIMH describes compulsions as “repetitive behaviors that a person with OCD feels the urge to do in response to an obsessive thought.” Common compulsions include:
- Excessive cleaning or handwashing
- Arranging things in a particularly precise way
- Repeatedly checking things
- Compulsive counting
The Story of Howie Mandel
Howie Mandel is a famous game-show host and comedian, and he’s very public about living with OCD. In an interview with the website Everyday Health, he shared:
“A thought that enters my head — good, bad, or indifferent — isn’t any different from anybody else’s. The problem is, it’s like a sticking record, and that thought continuously goes through and through like a loop. And I have a compulsion to act on it. The simplest example I can give you is: I don’t think I locked the door, so I go back and I check the door like everyone else. And then I still don’t think I locked the door, so I go back and check the door again. And I still think I didn’t lock the door. And I can go back, like, 30 times. Intellectually, I know that I’ve checked the door 29 times before, but I can’t stop myself from going back and checking it again and again and again.”
Mandel has been interviewed numerous times, and he’s open about the challenges faced by his family:
“When you have this, you become obsessed with this. I spend a lot of time worried or agitated or intolerant, so I’m tough to be with. I have a tough time being with myself, so I can only imagine what it’s like to live in a house with me. But they are understanding and patient.”
OCD is not OCPD
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is not OCD, so don’t allow anyone to label you without being diagnosed by a skilled clinician. OCPD is described in this way by the Merck Manual:
“To maintain a sense of control, patients focus on rules, minute details, procedures, schedules, and lists. As a result, the main point of a project or activity is lost. These patients repeatedly check for mistakes and pay extraordinary attention to detail. They do not make good use of their time, often leaving the most important tasks until the end. Their preoccupation with the details and making sure everything is perfect can endlessly delay completion. They are unaware of how their behavior affects their co-workers. When focused on one task, these patients may neglect all other aspects of their life.”