Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is not just about order or “weird habits.” It’s a serious mental health condition where the brain gets stuck in a loop of anxiety: intrusive, distressing thoughts (obsessions) that require you to perform certain actions or rituals (compulsions) to temporarily relieve the tension.

OCD is often associated with feelings of extreme responsibility and fear of harm. Here, we explore the different manifestations of the disorder – from fear of contamination to aggressive or religious obsessions – and explain why “just stopping thinking like that” doesn’t work.