OCD Test

Category: OCD Online Therapy | Last updated: October 11th, 2018 | Reviewed and approved by:
Dr. Steven Gans, MD
Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, PhD

Signs and symptoms of OCD

OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) is a mental disorder that affects millions of people every year. The condition is characterized by reoccurring obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.

Obsessions are recurrent and persistent thoughts that cause anxiety and discomfort and are normally about dirt, disease, disasters, accidents or the fear of harming someone else. Obsessions often start with the words “what if”; “What if I hurt my baby while sleep?”, “What if I forgot to turn off the water at home?”, “What if I get an infectious disease?” etc. The obsession can also be about an abnormal need to control or perform everyday routines in the “perfect” and “right” way.

These obsessions trigger anxiety, which is then managed by performing compulsions that are repetitive concrete or mental behaviors. Compulsions may be that you wash your hands often and thoroughly, you get dressed in a certain way in the morning, you mumble a chant, collects things and so on.

The way OCD is manifested differs from person to person, but common categories of compulsions are:

Washing: The obsessive need to wash yourself or things around you often and thoroughly to avoid dirt and diseases.

Checking: The obsessive need to continually check things (that the oven is turned off, that the door is locked and so on) to avoid danger.

Doubting: The obsessive need to perform things “in the right way” to avoid something bad from happening.

Arranging: The obsessive need to have things in order and in symmetry to avoid disaster. This includes being superstitious when it comes to numbers, colors and symmetry.

Collecting: The obsessive need to collect unnecessary things to avoid the risk that something bad will happen if thrown away.

People suffering from OCD often realize that their thoughts are unreasonable and that their compulsions are unnecessary, but still feel that they need to perform them to have control of their lives. Many are often too ashamed to ask for help and instead try to hide their disorder, believing that they are the only one in the world with these abnormal thoughts and behaviors.

It is very important to understand that having obsessions or compulsions does not mean that you are suffering from OCD. When suffering from OCD, the compulsions are often very time-consuming and significantly disturb your daily routines and cause distress in your life.

These are a few specific compulsions that illustrate how irrational the obsessive thoughts are, yet the compulsions NEED to be executed to avoid or ease the anxiety:

Washing your hands 5 times after you have read a book at a library, afraid that otherwise you will get a deadly disease from the person who read the book before you.
Before turning to the next page in a book, you need to tap the page with your index finger 10 times to avoid something terrible happening to your dad.
Performing mental acts in your head to avoid terrible things from happening: “I need to repeat the whole alphabet for 3 minutes, or else something bad is going to happen”.
Rearranging the furniture in your home several times a day to find the symmetry that “feels right”, with the purpose of avoiding a disaster from happening.

Further reading: Overcome your ocd with online therapy.

If you suffer from any of the symptoms described above, we recommend that you take this test. Evaluate the statements and select the option that you feel best reflects the way you have felt for the past two weeks. The test is, of course, anonymous and free (see our privacy policy).

This OCD test is not to be seen as a final diagnosis. If you are uncertain about your result, we suggest that you get professional help as soon as possible.

True
Partly true
Not true
1. I suffer from recurrent and persistent thoughts, images, or impulses that cause me distress or anxiety.
2. My impulses, thoughts or mental images are derived from excessive worry in regards to real life concerns.
3. I often have doubts, such as constantly worrying that I may have left the door unlocked.
4. I often fear that I will contaminate others or will be contaminated by dirt.
5. I fear that I will become aggressive and physically harm someone.
6. I find myself performing rituals frequently that are purposeful or intentional, such as washing my hands, cleaning often or checking to see if the door is locked to allay doubts.
7. I worry that harm will come to a loved one, due to my own carelessness.
8. I count, arrange or line up objects. For example, I ensure that my socks are worn at the same height or that the table is laid symmetrically.
9. I take unnecessary actions such as re-reading, re-writing and re-opening envelopes prior to mailing.
10. I often examine my body for signs of illnesses.
11. I am superstitious and avoid colors, names, numbers etc., which I believe are unlucky and will bring harm.
12. I often need to affirm or repeatedly ask for reassurance that I have done something right.
13. I recognize at some point that my obsessions/compulsions are unreasonable or excessive.
14. My obsessions/compulsions are often marked by distress.
15. My obsessive thoughts and behaviors become time-consuming, often lasting more than one hour daily.
16. My obsessive thoughts and behaviors significantly interfere with my normal daily functioning.
17. I have a lot of old stuff that I don’t use but that I just can’t bear to throw or give away.
Generating result...