First symptoms of people with OCD experience obsession which are specific thoughts that are intense and intrusive. People don’t choose to have them and they are often very distressing. Obsessions make it hard to concentrate or get anything done a lot of times these thoughts are about germs or safety.
The second symptom of OCD is compulsions these are ritual behaviors and people with OCD do them to help deal with anxiety, horror, or distress they feel because of their obsessive thoughts. As there are many types of compulsive behaviors they often focus on washing or cleaning checking on things for safety or repeating words or numbers.
Thanks for sharing
OCD can be extremely devastating especially given the perceptions of the public that this condition is nothing more than a few stereotypical behaviours. The public perception often leaves out the crushing weight of the intrusive thoughts which hound the patient with OCD.
I remember Michael J Fox's embodiment of OCD in the brilliant comedy series 'Scrubs'. The way in which he portrayed it was excellent, especially the frustration at being locked into a behaviour and being unable to stop it.