Symptoms

Common obsessive thoughts include: 

• fear of contamination from dirt or germs
• overwhelming concern with personal safety or the safety of others
• needing objects to be organised in a certain way all the time
• thoughts inconsistent with a person's values, such as aggressive, sexual, or blasphemous thoughts.

Common compulsive behaviours include excessive or repeated:

• cleaning, for example, washing hands or scrubbing household surfaces
• checking, for example, whether doors are locked or appliances are switched off
• ordering, for example, placing objects in a particular pattern or making things look symmetrical
• mental acts, for example, reciting phrases in one's head or counting
• hoarding, for example, collecting old newspapers or other things that aren't useful or of value.