Do I Have OCD? Take This Self-Assessment Quiz

Wondering if your repetitive thoughts or behaviors might be OCD? While everyone has intrusive thoughts or habits sometimes, obsessive-compulsive disorder involves distressing patterns that significantly interfere with daily life. This evidence-based screening tool can help you understand your symptoms and whether professional evaluation might be helpful.

Key Takeaways

• OCD is more than perfectionism: True OCD involves intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) that cause significant distress and take up substantial time.

• OCD affects about 1-2% of people: Despite being less common than anxiety disorders, OCD is a serious condition that requires specialized treatment approaches.

• Specific treatment works: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy, a specialized form of CBT, is highly effective for treating OCD when delivered by trained professionals.

About This OCD Screening Quiz

This self-assessment is based on elements from the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), both validated screening tools used by mental health professionals.

The quiz explores both obsessions (intrusive, unwanted thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive behaviors or mental acts) that characterize OCD.

What Is OCD?

OCD involves a cycle of obsessions and compulsions that causes significant distress and interferes with daily functioning.

What Are Obsessions?

Obsessions are intrusive, unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that repeatedly enter your mind and cause significant anxiety or distress. They're not simply excessive worries about real-life problems.

Common obsession themes include:

• Fear of contamination (germs, dirt, illness)

• Need for symmetry or exactness

• Unwanted forbidden thoughts (aggressive, sexual, religious)

• Fear of harming yourself or others

• Excessive doubt or need for reassurance

What Are Compulsions?

Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts you feel driven to perform in response to an obsession. These behaviors are aimed at reducing anxiety or preventing a feared outcome, even though they're excessive or not realistically connected to what they're meant to prevent.

Common compulsions include:

• Excessive cleaning or handwashing

• Checking (locks, appliances, etc.)

• Counting or repeating actions

• Ordering or arranging items

• Seeking reassurance from others

• Mental rituals (praying, counting, repeating phrases)

The OCD Self-Assessment

For each question, consider how much the symptom has bothered you during the past month. Rate your experience:

• 0 = Not at all

• 1 = A little

• 2 = Moderately

• 3 = A lot

• 4 = Extremely

Part 1: Obsessions

1. I have unwanted thoughts, images, or impulses that repeatedly enter my mind

2. These thoughts are very distressing to me

3. I spend a lot of mental energy trying to suppress or ignore these thoughts

4. I feel anxious or distressed when I can't perform certain behaviors or rituals

5. I worry excessively about germs, contamination, or getting sick

6. I have repeated doubts about things I've done (like whether I locked the door or turned off the stove)

7. I need things to be in a particular order or arranged symmetrically

Part 2: Compulsions

8. I wash or clean myself or objects excessively

9. I check things repeatedly (locks, switches, appliances)

10. . I repeat routine actions multiple times (like going in/out of doorways)

11. . I count things, or perform actions a specific number of times

12. . I arrange or order items until they feel "just right"

13. . I seek reassurance from others repeatedly

14. These behaviors take up significant time (more than 1 hour per day)

15. These behaviors interfere with my daily life, work, or relationships

How to Score:

Add up your points from all 15 questions:

0-14 points: Low likelihood of OCD

15-29 points: Mild symptoms worth monitoring

30-44 points: Moderate symptoms - professional evaluation recommended

45-60 points: Severe symptoms - professional evaluation strongly recommended

What Your Score Means

Low Likelihood (0-14)

Your responses suggest you're not currently experiencing significant OCD symptoms. Everyone has occasional intrusive thoughts or habits, and your experiences appear to be within a normal range.

However, if you're concerned about specific thoughts or behaviors, discussing them with a healthcare provider can provide peace of mind.

Mild Symptoms (15-29)

Your responses indicate some OCD-like symptoms that may be worth monitoring. These symptoms might not significantly disrupt your life yet, but could benefit from attention.

Consider tracking when these thoughts or behaviors occur and whether they're increasing in frequency or intensity. If they begin interfering with daily activities, professional consultation is recommended.

Moderate Symptoms (30-44)

Your responses suggest moderate OCD symptoms that likely affect your daily functioning. At this level, symptoms typically interfere with work productivity, relationships, or personal wellbeing.

Professional evaluation is recommended. A mental health provider specializing in OCD can conduct a comprehensive assessment and discuss treatment options, including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy.

Severe Symptoms (45-60)

Your responses indicate severe OCD symptoms that are significantly impacting your quality of life. Severe OCD can consume hours of your day and substantially interfere with work, relationships, and self-care.

Professional treatment is strongly recommended. Research shows that specialized treatment, particularly ERP therapy combined with medication when appropriate, is highly effective even for severe OCD.

How Common Is OCD?

OCD affects approximately 1-2% of the population, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. It typically begins in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood, though it can start at any age.

OCD affects people of all ages, races, and backgrounds equally. However, symptoms often first appear between ages 8-12 or in late teens to early twenties. About one-third of affected adults first experienced symptoms in childhood.

What Causes OCD?

Research suggests OCD results from a combination of biological, genetic, and environmental factors.

Brain Chemistry and Structure

Studies using brain imaging have found differences in how certain brain regions function in people with OCD. Research published in Biological Psychiatry shows that the orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and striatum—areas involved in planning, decision-making, and regulation of behavior—show different activity patterns in people with OCD.

Neurotransmitters, particularly serotonin, play a role in OCD. This is why medications that affect serotonin levels can help reduce symptoms.

Genetic Factors

OCD tends to run in families, suggesting genetic components. If you have a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) with OCD, you have a higher risk of developing the disorder yourself.

Environmental Triggers

While biology creates vulnerability, environmental factors can trigger OCD onset or worsen symptoms:

• Stressful life events

• Trauma or abuse

• Significant life transitions

• Infections (in rare cases, pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders)

Treatment Options for OCD

OCD requires specialized treatment approaches that differ from general anxiety treatment. The good news is that effective treatments exist.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

ERP is the gold standard therapy for OCD. Research shows that people with OCD who complete ERP treatment experience significant symptom reduction.

ERP involves:

Exposure: Gradually confronting feared situations or triggering obsessive thoughts in a controlled way.

Response Prevention: Resisting the urge to perform compulsive behaviors when anxiety arises.

For example, someone with contamination fears might touch a doorknob (exposure) without washing their hands afterward (response prevention). Over time, this breaks the cycle of obsessions and compulsions.

Medication

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often prescribed for OCD, typically at higher doses than used for depression. Common medications include:

• Fluoxetine (Prozac)

• Sertraline (Zoloft)

• Fluvoxamine (Luvox)

• Paroxetine (Paxil)

The tricyclic antidepressant clomipramine is also effective for OCD but has more side effects than SSRIs.

Medication often works best when combined with ERP therapy. Studies show that combined treatment produces better outcomes than either approach alone.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

While ERP is a specialized form of CBT, broader CBT approaches can help address thought patterns and beliefs that maintain OCD symptoms.

When to Seek Professional Help

You should consider a professional evaluation if:

• Obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors take up more than 1 hour per day

• These symptoms interfere with work, school, or relationships

• You feel distressed or impaired by these symptoms

• You're avoiding situations because of obsessions or compulsions

• Family members have expressed concern about your behaviors

How Online Psychiatry Can Help with OCD

Virtual psychiatric care through platforms like Blossom Health can be particularly helpful for OCD treatment:

Accessibility: Connect with providers who specialize in OCD treatment, which can be harder to find in some geographic areas.

Convenience: Attend therapy sessions from home, which is especially helpful when OCD involves contamination fears or travel-related compulsions.

Consistency: Maintain regular treatment even when circumstances change.

Medication management: Psychiatric providers can prescribe and monitor OCD medications virtually.

The Bottom Line

If your screening results suggest OCD, remember that you're not alone and effective treatment is available. OCD is a medical condition involving specific brain patterns—it's not a character flaw or weakness.

The most important step is seeking evaluation from a mental health professional who specializes in OCD treatment. With proper care, most people with OCD can significantly reduce symptoms and reclaim their lives from intrusive thoughts and compulsions.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you're experiencing a mental health emergency, call 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or go to your nearest emergency room.

Sources

1. Foa EB, et al. The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory: Development and validation. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 1998

2. National Institute of Mental Health - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

3. American Psychiatric Association - What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

4. Saxena S, Rauch SL. Functional neuroimaging and the neuroanatomy of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Biological Psychiatry. 2000

5. Foa EB, et al. Randomized trial of prolonged exposure for PTSD with and without cognitive restructuring. The American Journal of Psychiatry. 2005

6. International OCD Foundation - About OCD

7. Mayo Clinic - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

8. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - OCD Treatment