According to the DSM 5 obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is represented by a diverse group of symptoms that include obsessions, compulsions or both.
Obsessions are recurrent and persistent intrusive (unwanted) thoughts, urges, feelings, ideas, images, or sensations that cause anxiety or distress; and individual tries to ignore, suppress or neutralize the obsessions with other thoughts or compulsions.
Compulsions are the repetitive behaviors or mental acts (such as counting, checking or avoiding) that people tend to do in response to the obsessions; these behaviors or mental acts are aimed at reducing anxiety or stress or prevent some dreaded event or situation. Although the compulsive act may be carried out in an attempt to reduce the anxiety associated with the obsession, it does not always succeed in doing so.
The completion of the compulsive act may not affect the anxiety, and it may even increase the anxiety. Anxiety is also increased when a person resists carrying out a compulsion. The obsessions or compulsions are time-consuming and interfere significantly with the person’s normal routine, occupational functioning, usual social activities, or relationships (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 2013; Kaplan and Sadock’s Synopsis of Psychiatry, 2015).