OCD or obsessive-compulsive disorder may stem from a certain fear or phobia or obsession about a specific thing and in some ways they are all interrelated. We can have more in depth overview of how these two are connected by first taking a closer look at what obsessive-compulsive disorder is. OCD is characterized by an individual’s obsession that makes him think about a certain activity or thing over and over again. These thoughts are unsolicited, he does not want them, but he does not have control over them, hence it keeps on repeating in his mind. Because of these fixations, the affected individual replicates specific actions repeatedly and these acts are called compulsions. Mind you, these acts that I am talking about do not pertain to our daily strict regimen such as taking a bath before going to work or brushing our teeth prior to bedtime, but for people suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, these acts that are forced into patterns interfere with their normal lives. When this happened, when certain repeated behavior gets in the way of your daily life which makes you feel miserable and leaves you depressed because you are unable to put a stop to it try as you might, then you would definitely need professional help.
Now how does phobia come into the picture? Well, obsessions are sometimes bordered on a certain fear of a thing or an event and that is what is causing the unwanted compulsions, actions that are repeatedly performed to ward off what is being feared. To illustrate, an individual may be obsessed with cleanliness because he is extremely afraid of germs and what it may bring, thus, he compulsively washes his hands every chance he has or every time he feels that he comes in contact with items that have germs. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder including OCD behavior in children will have these neurotic thoughts all the time and he will not be able to manage it on his own.
Keep in mind that the obsessive thoughts that OCD obsessive compulsive disorder patients have make them afraid and nervous and their reaction to this fear generated by their unwanted thoughts are what powers the compulsive behavior that they manifest and since the obsessive thoughts occur every time, so does the compulsive acts. Some of these universally known obsessions include repugnance on bodily fluids and wastes, an abnormal anxiety on the order of things such as the way his clothes are folded, never-ending thoughts about certain images and even numbers, the need for constant comfort and encouragement, and the unwarranted fear of harming a friend or a relative.
