Everyone worries. Some people worry more than others, but in general, a little worrying is normal for everybody. However, too much worrying can be a sign of a problem. Someone who worries too much might have a mental condition called obsessive-compulsive disorder (also known as OCD).

In a normally functioning brain, if you get worried, you find a way to deal with your worry and then forget about it or place it in the back of your mind. If you have OCD, you cannot get rid of the worry. And if you don't do certain things, the worry just gets worse. For people with OCD, the things they can't stop worrying about are called obsessions. They try to get rid of these obsessions with rituals, which are also called compulsions.

• What are some obsessions related to OCD?
• What are some rituals people with OCD perform?
• How can OCD affect someone's life?
• How common is OCD?
• Is there treatment for OCD?

What are some obsessions related to OCD?

• Extreme fear of dirt and germs
  
• Fear of getting sick
  
• Fear of getting injured
  
• Making sure everything is straight
  
• Thinking everything must be perfect
  
• Thinking something is bad

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What are some rituals people with OCD perform?

• Arranging things until they are perfect
  
• Washing for extremely long periods of time or over-washing
  
• Touching certain things constantly
  
• Counting that is distracting from other activities
  
• Checking and rechecking things such as burners and locks
  
• Retying shoes until they look and feel perfect
  
• Repeating questions

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How can OCD affect someone's life?

OCD can make completing simple tasks difficult. The rituals can take lots of time and get in the way of completing homework, spending time with friends or going to school. Someone with OCD cannot control these rituals. They feel that if the rituals are not done, something will go wrong. Some people with OCD know their behavior is odd, but they cannot help it, so they just keep it to themselves and do not tell others about their obsessions.


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How common is OCD?

One million kids and teens in the United States have OCD. That's about one in every 200 teens. Adults can have OCD too.



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Is there treatment for OCD?

Yes. There are some medicines that interfere with the brain's chemicals to make them work correctly. But since medicine doesn't work on its own in this case, many kids with OCD visit a doctor to talk with a doctor about their obsessions. Specialists, such as psychiatrists, psychologists or therapists, can who help with behavior therapy. These doctors help kids realize they can conquer their fears. Slowly, the symptoms of OCD go away, and the person's life becomes more normal.




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