OCD is a type of anxiety disorder that seems to affect everyone a little differently. It is typified by the invasive and distracting thoughts it causes, which compel people with the condition to act out in compulsive and repetitious behaviors in order to reduce their anxieties. Because many people with OCD experience the same types of intrusive thoughts over and over, their compulsions are likely to become ritualistic behaviors that they feel the need to engage in on a regular basis.

Due to the nature of OCD, many people suffering with the condition find it to be exceedingly problematic in everyday life, negatively imposing on work and home environments. For some, the condition may only be related to a specific trigger. Examples would be excessive hand-washing to prevent germs or making a ritual of checking locked doors multiple times each morning before leaving for work. But for others, OCD symptoms may affect everything – even compelling some people to avoid certain numbers, eat things in pairs, or organize everything according to color or alphabetical order.

Although only 1 percent of the adult population in the United States currently suffers with obsessive-compulsive disorder, the National Institute of Mental Health estimates that more than half of them are suffering with a severe form of the disorder. The disease can develop at any point in life, though the majority of patients receive a diagnosis no later than age 19. Some people with OCD may be chronically affected by the condition, whereas others experience obsessive-compulsive episodes that vary in intensity and frequency.