6 Types of OCD and How They Manifest

OCD is often used as an adjective to describe someone who is excessively neat or particular about the cleanliness of their home. However, the truth is that the things that people refer to when they describe someone as OCD are just the tip of the iceberg. Coping with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is far more complex than many realize. Not many people know that there are six types of OCD, each with its unique behaviors and beliefs.

It’s important to clear up the confusion and misuse of the term OCD because doing so is a simple way of supporting someone struggling with the disorder. People with OCD are frequently paralyzed with anxiety, fear, and guilt over a myriad of things, to the point that their thoughts and compulsions severely impact their day-to-day life. You can help a loved one with OCD tremendously by not minimizing or trivializing their struggles.

A Disorder, Not A Personality Trait

OCD is not an adjective, but it is a complex disorder that often starts in childhood and frequently goes undiagnosed until it becomes a debilitating issue. As the name implies, there are two main components to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

• Obsessions come in the form of distressing and unwanted thoughts and beliefs.
• Compulsions are repetitive behaviors and urges.

There is a third component that every person with OCD experiences. It is intense and sometimes crippling emotions that come as a result of their obsessions and compulsions. Those with OCD feel anxiety, fear, sadness, and frustration to the point of hopelessness and isolation.

If a person is obsessively neat, the worst thing they would experience is tiredness from tidying or cleaning, and perhaps a mild sense of frustration or panic when things are not in order. Someone with OCD in the same situation might be paralyzed by guilt and shame over a few things being out of place and might even believe that a family member would die if they didn’t put things in place.

This might sound excessive or unreal, but it is a common experience with many types of OCD. The definition of compulsive behaviors is that you feel an overwhelming urge to do them, often as if you have no choice in the matter. This, combined with overwhelming and disturbing emotions, means that a person is suffering from a disorder, and not simply an extreme personality trait.

What makes a behavior obsessive or compulsive?

Many of the behaviors and habits associated with the different types of OCD are ordinary. What makes them compulsive or obsessive is the motives behind the behavior. People with OCD do things repetitively to alleviate their stress, minimize their discomfort, neutralize their disgust, or even to avoid an imagined disaster.

When diagnosing OCD, professionals will consider the impact it will have on the person if they do not perform their repetitive behaviors or personal rituals. Often, simply the idea of not being able to do an action causes extreme distress to someone with OCD.

This is also the way that counselors and therapists will begin to treat OCD. Professionals will help the person change the beliefs that are attached to their actions. Then they will practice doing new things until they begin to form healthier habits.

Six Types Of OCD

OCD can manifest later in life, improve or become more intense and debilitating over time, and it can be treated with therapy and sometimes medication. Some types of OCD present as schizophrenia, and it’s not uncommon for people to experience OCD alongside another disorder or diagnosis.

People with OCD often understand that their beliefs and behaviors are irrational, and they are often the first ones to worry about their mental health, but they feel powerless to control things. Here are the six most common types of OCD:

Checking OCD

Behind all the types of OCD is a fear or irrational belief that drives their behavior. In this case, the person fears that something bad or even catastrophic will happen unless they check things multiple times throughout the day. It is as exhausting as it sounds and causes great distress, even when they have checked the item multiple times.

Things they check include the time, locks on doors, appliances like stoves and electric kettles, work emails, and text messages. They might form mental rituals to practice multiple times daily, or spend large amounts of time Googling things to find information. Unfortunately, no amount of information will alleviate their anxiety, and they feel like they must perform a physical or verbal ritual to help.

Contamination OCD

One of the most common types of OCD is a fear of germs, dirt, illness, or contamination. People with this type of OCD will go to great lengths to keep their bodies and living or working spaces clean.

They might carry around wet wipes and antiseptic hand gel for the moments when they can’t wash their hands for the twentieth time that day. They might avoid going to certain places, or might fear leaving the house entirely. Many people with this type of OCD don’t fear contamination as much as they are triggered to anger by places they perceive to be messy or dirty.

Symmetry OCD

People with this type of OCD will tirelessly spend time aligning, arranging, and organizing their spaces until they deem them acceptable. They also feel a compulsion to make every action symmetrical.

For example, if they itch a scratch on one side of their nose, they must scratch the other side too, even if it isn’t itchy. Many people with this type of OCD end up spiraling because so much of life cannot be symmetrical enough for them.

Intrusive Thoughts OCD

One of the most distressing types of OCD is the one that brings intrusive thoughts. These thoughts appear unbidden and unwanted in their heads, and won’t leave or lessen until they have performed some kind of ritual or action, like tapping, counting, or shaking their head.

The nature of these thoughts is frequently disturbing, centering around violence, catastrophes, harmful sexuality, or blasphemy. These are things that the person would never act on, but simply feeling compelled to think about such things is devastating enough.

Scrupulosity OCD

This is one of the rarer types of OCD and is often disguised by religious or spiritual fervor, which is often seen as a positive thing. These people are obsessively concerned with being moral and pure and are bound by a fear of sinning or offending someone’s beliefs.

Depending on their faith, they will tirelessly engage in prayer, spiritual rituals, and confessions to people whom they deem to have spiritual authority. The emotions associated with this type of OCD are a fear of eternal punishment and often an outrage at perceived sin or unrighteousness.

Harm OCD

Many of the manifestations of OCD are harmless to anyone except the one dealing with the disorder, and this one is no different. People with harm OCD experience intrusive thoughts that cause them to fear that they will cause harm to others, even loved ones.

They often can’t or don’t want to do the things they fear, but they will still run through some of the most horrific scenarios they can imagine. They might resort to actions like counting and tapping as a way of coping with these thoughts.

What To Do With OCD

Seeing a loved one struggle with OCD can be devastating. Dealing personally with the disorder can be debilitating and affect much of your life. There might be a long journey ahead of you and your loved ones, but there is hope of freedom from all of the anxiety and obsessions. There are support groups and individual counselors ready to help as soon as you reach out.

If you would like to get in touch with someone who knows about OCD and how to treat it, we can help. Reach out to us, and we can connect you with a counselor. You’re not alone, and you’re not beyond help. Call or email us today.