If you think you may have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), you’ve landed in the right place. This short OCD quiz can help you figure out if you’re showing signs of OCD. Please be aware that while this test can be super helpful, it is not a replacement for a diagnosis from a licensed mental health professional.
But before diving into the OCD quiz, take a look at this brief overview so you can get a better idea of what this mental health disorder looks like.
What is OCD?
OCD is a highly treatable mental health condition characterized by unwanted thoughts, images, urges, and feelings (known as obsessions) that are often followed by compulsions, which are repetitive physical and mental actions done to relieve distress or to prevent a fear from happening in real life. These symptoms can create a cycle that can be hard to escape without OCD treatment.
What are the signs and symptoms of OCD?
OCD symptoms are split into two categories: obsessions and compulsions. Here are a few examples of each symptom.
Obsessions:
- Hyperfocusing on your relationships
- Having intrusive thoughts about harming your loved ones
- Worrying that you’ll get sick from sitting in the doctor’s waiting room
- Questioning whether or not you’re a bad person
Compulsions:
- Performing rituals (e.g., walking through a doorway in a certain way)
- Seeking reassurance from friends and family that everything’s okay
- Distancing yourself from others to prevent harm
- Compulsive cleaning and sanitizing
Diagnosing and treating OCD
While there’s no specific test for OCD, a licensed mental health professional can diagnose you with OCD if there’s a presence of obsessions and/or compulsions that are disrupting your day-to-day life, including your relationships, work, school, and other obligations.
If you’re diagnosed with OCD, the next step is getting treatment. The first-line and gold-standard treatment for this mental health disorder is exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy. This evidence-based therapy includes two components: direct exposure to your OCD triggers and response prevention techniques that help you refrain from performing compulsions in response.
As a quick reminder, this OCD test is not a diagnostic tool for any mental health disorders. If you think that you have OCD, it’s best to work with a licensed therapist who can help you learn to manage your symptoms and alleviate distress.
Frequently asked questions
Here are some commonly asked questions about OCD.
What are the four main types of OCD?
While there are many different kinds of OCD subtypes, the themes can generally fall into four main categories, including:
- Harm or serious misfortune
- Contamination
- “Just right” or perfectionism
- Unacceptable or taboo thoughts
What are the most common types of OCD?
A person’s OCD subtype is defined by what their mind tends to focus on and what thoughts result from this focus. Subtypes are relatively stable over time, though new symptoms can appear and old ones might fade.
Among the four main categories of OCD, there are seven common subtypes. These include:
- Harm OCD: Intrusive thoughts that revolve around violence.
- Sexual orientation OCD (SO-OCD): Obsessions about your sexuality.
- Pedophilia OCD (POCD): Unwanted sexual thoughts about children.
- Relationship (ROCD): Obsessions about whether or not you’re in the right relationship—romantic or non-romantic.
- “Just right” or perfectionism OCD: Ongoing intrusive thoughts and compulsions about organization and perfection.
- Contamination OCD: Constant fears that you’ll either get sick or infect someone you love.
- Pure-O or pure obsessional OCD: Having obsessions without visible compulsions. This OCD subtype can be trickier to define because compulsions may be hidden.
What causes OCD?
The exact cause of OCD is unknown, but many experts believe certain factors, such as genetics, a change in brain chemicals, trauma, and infections may increase your risk of developing this obsessive compulsive disorder.
Can OCD be cured?
There’s no cure for OCD, as it is a chronic or long-term mental health condition. However, it is manageable with treatments like ERP and medication (if needed).