Compulsions may bring some temporary relief of the anxiety or distress around obsessions, but compulsions aren't pleasurable and don't stop obsessions from coming back. Compulsions can also be invisible, such as repeating a word or phrase to yourself or counting items in your mind. Compulsions can be visible to others, such as spending a lot of time washing your hands or putting items in a specific order. "If I do x, y won't happen" or "I need to do x just in case"). These actions are used as a way to reduce anxiety brought on by obsessions, often with the intention of neutralizing or negating a threat (e.g. It's important to remember that people don't act out their obsessions-obsessions are only thoughts.Ĭompulsions are actions individuals use to manage obsessions. For example, people may experience thoughts of harming someone else or images of a horrific accident. Obsessions can be very difficult because they can shock people who experience them. Obsessions often come up on their own and cause a lot of distress. Obsessions are thoughts that people can't control. OCD is made up of two parts: obsessions and compulsions. It used to be grouped with anxiety disorders and it still is closely linked with anxiety disorders. OCD or obsessive-compulsive disorder is part of a group of mental illnesses called obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. Author: Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division