OCD Self-Check

Is it OCD, or just a habit?

Ten questions from neurologist Dr. Sean Orr about intrusive thoughts, rituals, and how much they affect your day. It takes about two minutes. This is an educational self-check, not a diagnosis.

Questions0%

Think about the past month. Choose the answer that fits best.

1. Unwanted thoughts, images or urges keep coming back, even when you try to push them away.

2. Those thoughts cause you strong anxiety, disgust, guilt or a feeling that something is wrong.

3. You feel driven to do something to ease that feeling, like checking, washing, counting, repeating, arranging, or reviewing things in your head.

4. You repeat an action until it feels "just right," even when you know it was done correctly the first time.

5. You ask other people for reassurance about the same worry again and again.

6. You avoid certain places, objects, people or situations because they set off these thoughts or rituals.

7. On a typical day, how much time do these thoughts and rituals take up?

8. These thoughts or rituals get in the way of work, school, sleep or getting out the door on time.

9. Family members, a partner or friends get pulled into your rituals, or the symptoms cause tension with them.

10. The thoughts and rituals get noticeably worse when you are stressed, tired or anxious.