Obsessive thought disorder quiz

3 Minute Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Test

Mood DisordersObsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Do I have OCD? Use this quiz to help determine if you might need to consult a mental health professional for diagnosis and treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Jan 21, 2022

Medical ReviewerRandy Bressler, PsyD

Who Is This Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Quiz For?

Below is a list of eight questions designed for people who are experiencing anxiety-inducing thoughts or repetitive behaviors they believe to be uncontrollable. The questions relate to life experiences common among people who have been diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

Please read each question carefully, and indicate how often you have experienced the same or similar challenges in the past few months.

This quiz is NOT a diagnostic tool. Mental health disorders can only be diagnosed by licensed health care professionals.

Psycom believes assessments can be a valuable first step toward getting treatment. All too often people stop short of seeking help out of fear their concerns aren't legitimate or severe enough to warrant professional intervention.

Eight questions that relate to common thoughts and behaviors experienced by those diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

How Is OCD Treated?

OCD is highly treatable often through a combination of cognitive behavior therapy and, in some cases, medication.

Your privacy is important to us. All results are completely anonymous.

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If you think you or someone you care about may be suffering from OCD, Anxiety, or any other mental health condition, Psycom.net strongly recommends that you seek help from a mental health professional in order to receive a proper diagnosis and support. For those in crisis, we have compiled a list of resources (some even offer free or low-cost support) where you may be able to find additional help. 

How do you know if you have obsessive-compulsive disorder?

OCD is often a term that is misused to describe people who simply like order or have high standards of cleanliness. In reality, OCD is a serious mental health condition that centers on obsessions, compulsions, or both. OCD is not solely related to germs or cleanliness, but those can be common themes. If you find yourself having recurring, unwanted thoughts that disrupt your daily life and compel you to take an action, you may want to speak to a mental health professional about OCD.¹

Is OCD an anxiety disorder?

OCD was previously categorized as an anxiety disorder but was reclassified in the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM-5) under the heading of ‘Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders’. This was a controversial decision in the psychiatric community. Prior to the publishing of DSM-5, a paper titled ‘Should OCD be classified as an Anxiety disorder in DSM-V?’ surveyed authors of OCD publications. Approximately 60% of respondents supported moving OCD out of the anxiety disorders section, while 40% disagreed.

What causes obsessive-compulsive disorder?

While the exact cause of OCD is unknown, scientists believe that biological, genetic, and environmental factors play a role in its occurrence. Having another mental health disorder, having parents or other family members with OCD, and experiencing traumatic life events can increase your risk of developing OCD.

Is OCD a serious mental illness?

OCD is a serious mental illness that can become debilitating if left untreated. It is characterized by high levels of fear, anxiety, and emotional distress. In severe cases of OCD, the disorder can prevent the individual from functioning in daily life, interfere with relationships and responsibilities, and significantly impact quality of life.

Who is most likely to get OCD?

OCD can affect children, adolescents, and adults alike. Most people with OCD are diagnosed by the age of 19, but onset after age 35 can occur. OCD typically presents earlier in males than in females. Having another mental health disorder, having parents or other family members with OCD, and experiencing traumatic life events can increase your risk of developing OCD.

Does OCD get worse with age?

The symptoms of OCD can worsen with age if left untreated. Those diagnosed with OCD in adolescence have a 60% chance of the illness becoming a lifelong disorder without the guidance of a mental health professional. In most cases, OCD symptoms can be alleviated with time and treatment, but others will be classified as chronic.

What is rumination?

Rumination is the process of obsessively thinking about an idea, situation, or choice, which tends to be negative or troubling. Rumination is a central symptom of OCD that causes the individual to spend a significant amount of time thinking about or analyzing their obsessions. Rumination can be seriously damaging to one’s mental health, as it can interfere with daily functioning and cause the individual to withdraw from their responsibilities and relationships.

How do you stop obsessive thoughts?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one means of treatment by which you can stop obsessive thoughts. Through CBT, therapists focus on helping you to recognize negative thoughts and find new ways of responding to them. CBT helps you stand back from these thoughts, look at the evidence closely, and tell yourself something more realistic or accurate. You cannot simply stop obsessive thoughts, but you can change the way you interpret meaning from them and how you respond.

OCD UK. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and OCD. Accessed April 6, 2021.
National Institute of Mental Health. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Accessed April 6, 2021.
Mayo Clinic. Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Accessed April 6, 2021.

Notes: This article was originally published July 9, 2021 and most recently updated January 21, 2022.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Screening Quiz I Psych Central

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Medically reviewed by Ashleigh Golden, PsyD — By Christina Ward — Updated on June 16, 2021

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is often dramatized in the media, but not many fully understand the condition.

Yes, some people with OCD might overly organize, obsessively wash their hands, or perform certain rituals many times a day. But while this might be partially accurate, it does not paint a clear and complete picture.

OCD is characterized by two main components:

obsessions: repetitive, unwanted thoughts or images
compulsions: repetitive, ritualized behaviors a person is driven to do

Although many people have experienced obsessions and compulsions at some point in their lives, if you have OCD, these thoughts and behaviors often interfere with daily life. The condition can eventually cause problems at home, at work, and in relationships.

A combination of factors is suspected to cause OCD.

If you think you may have OCD, it’s natural to have many questions. Consider taking our brief screening test to help you determine whether you might need to be evaluated by a mental health professional.

Remember: This test is only a screening tool. Only a mental health professional can accurately diagnose the condition and recommend treatment options, if needed.

Instructions

This is a screening measure to help you determine whether you might benefit from an evaluation by a mental health professional for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

For each item, indicate the extent to which it is true by checking the appropriate box next to the item.

This online screening is not a diagnostic tool. Only a trained medical professional, like a doctor or mental health professional, can help you determine the next best steps for you.

This quiz can’t replace a clinical diagnosis. If you believe you might have bipolar disorder or another condition after taking this test, consider reaching out to a qualified professional about your symptoms.

Ready to start therapy? Our Find a Therapist resource may help.

Last medically reviewed on June 16, 2021

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Medically reviewed by Ashleigh Golden, PsyD — By Christina Ward — Updated on June 16, 2021

Magical Thinking Test (Schizotypal) • Psychologist Yaroslav Isaikin

Schizotypal Test

Magic Ideation Scale (MIS) is a 30-question test designed to measure the "magic ideas" that are characteristic of schizotypal disorders. Also considered a general measure of psychosis susceptibility

Mean score is 9+-5 points
A level of up to 20 points is normal in the population.
A level of 20 to 30 points is not in itself diagnostic, since when establishing a diagnosis of schizotypal disorder, other symptoms from the list of criteria F21.x, in addition to magical thinking, must be taken into account, as well as the level of the patient's social adaptation, how much these symptoms interfere with him in life, work, life, communication with people.
A score of 20 to 30 may tip the scales in favor of a diagnosis of schizotypy, among other factors.

1. It sometimes seems to me that some people can sometimes make me remember or think about them, or feel their presence in my life, just by thinking of me.

Yes

2. Sometimes I have a fleeting feeling that perhaps I am not quite an ordinary person, or even not quite a person. For example, sometimes it seems to me that I am like an inanimate creature, a robot, an automaton or a machine. Or sometimes it seems to me that I might have some unusual abilities that other people do not have. Or sometimes it seems to me that I may have been possessed by the soul of some other animal, not a person. Or I want to fantasize and associate myself with this animal.

Yes

3.Sometimes I am afraid (or afraid) of stepping on cracks in the pavement or dividing lines between tiles or cobblestones, and I try (or tried) to get around them, not to step on them.

Yes

4. Sometimes I think that I could learn to read the minds of other people (at least some) if I wanted to, or that I can already do this

Yes

5. It seems to me that horoscope predictions come true too often for it to be a coincidence

Yes

6. Sometimes, when I get home, I find things not exactly in the places where I put them, although there was no one at home and no one could move them

Yes

7. Numbers like the number 13 or the number 7 have no special meaning to me, they are the same as others

Yes

8. Sometimes I have a strange feeling or thought that perhaps a radio or TV announcer or a participant in the program somehow knows or feels that at this very moment I am listening to him

Yes

9.Sometimes I have an idea that perhaps extraterrestrial beings or beings from a parallel universe somehow influence the events taking place on Earth, interfere with them or watch us, earthlings

Yes

10. It seems to me that governments, media and scientists are hiding the truth from people in some aspects regarding flying saucers, fireballs and other paranormal phenomena

Yes

11.Sometimes I have a strange feeling that in some texts, things or events around me there is some hidden meaning, some coded message, and it may even be intended for me personally. For example, the order of arranging books on a bookshelf or items on a display in a store can have such a value. Or the words of a TV or radio announcer may contain a coded message for me, be intended or addressed to me

Yes

12. I have never doubted that my dreams are exclusively the product of my consciousness and subconscious and have no special meaning and do not need to be read and interpreted

Yes

13. It seems to me that talismans and amulets that bring happiness and good luck, or charms and prayers, do not work and have no meaning

Yes

14. Sometimes, when listening to the usual musical records from my collection, I seem to hear sounds or words in them that were not in them before or that I did not notice in them before

Yes

15. Sometimes it seems to me that the movements or words that little-known or unfamiliar people do or say have some hidden meaning and meaning, or that they, these movements or words, may somehow influence me

Yes

16. I almost never have prophetic dreams in which some future event is predicted before it happens

Yes

17. Sometimes I have a strange fleeting sensation, as if a well-known person has been replaced by a double or a person similar to him, or that his behavior or attitude towards me has somehow subtly, inexplicably changed

Yes

18. It seems to me that it is impossible to harm or take revenge on another person simply by thinking bad things about him or cursing him, invoking various punishments and illnesses on his head or wishing him death, but without taking any action

Yes

19. Sometimes it seems to me as if I feel the invisible presence of some evil spirit or devil, although I cannot see it

Yes

20. When looking at some people or making bodily contact with them (contact), I sometimes get the feeling that I am losing energy or, on the contrary, receiving it from this person

Yes

21. I sometimes have a fleeting feeling that some unknown or unfamiliar person is in love with me or wants something from me

Yes

22. I have never had the feeling that some of my thoughts do not seem to belong to me, as if inspired by me from outside, or as if put into my head by someone else

Yes

23. When I am introduced to strangers, it very rarely or almost never seems to me that I have already seen these people or knew them before

Yes

24. As it sometimes seems to me, the theory of the transmigration of souls may have some grounds, at least in some cases. In any case, if this theory were true, then it could explain some facts and events in my life

Yes

25. Sometimes it seems to me that the people around me behave so strangely that I even think about whether they are playing some kind of game with me that I don’t understand, or maybe they are participants in some kind of experiment or prank , or performance

Yes

26.Sometimes I perform some small rituals to ward off any threat or misfortune (for example, spitting on the ground or knocking on wood)

Yes

27. Sometimes it seems to me that some things could happen simply because I thought about them too much

Yes

28.Sometimes it seems to me that the souls of dead people may be able to watch us, now living, or perhaps even communicate with some of us or somehow influence our life, interfere in it

Yes

29. Sometimes it seems to me that a lecture given by a lecturer in the classroom is specially intended for me or has a special meaning, subtext intended for me

Yes

30. Sometimes I feel like some other people might be able to read my mind sometimes

Yes

How to recognize obsessive-compulsive disorder - Lifehacker

March 7, 2021LikbezZdorovye

There is a line, after which the desire to put everything in order turns into a neurosis.

You can not only read this article, but also listen to it. If it's more convenient for you, turn on the podcast.

Being a control freak is sometimes good. It is better to make sure five times that you definitely put your air tickets and passports in your bag than to find out later at the airport that the necessary documents are missing.

But for someone, the desire to control and double-check becomes obsessive. And so much so that it seriously spoils life. A person is literally obsessed with certain things. For example, he cannot leave the house until he has made sure that the iron is turned off 20 times. Or he won't wash his hands 10 times. Or, let's say, does not bring the hallway to a shine.

This behavior is called obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). With this disorder, a person is regularly visited by obsessive disturbing thoughts (obsessions), which he tries to get rid of with the help of equally obsessive rituals (compulsions).

According to the ^{Obsessive-compulsive Disorder of the US National Institute of Mental Health, OCD affects 1-2 people out of every 100. In the US alone, the problem affects over two million people.}

It is rather difficult to recognize the line where healthy forethought or love of cleanliness begins to turn into a mental disorder. But still it is possible - if you do not miss some characteristic symptoms.

How to recognize obsessive-compulsive disorder

All people, of course, are different. But obsessions most often develop along several similar scenarios ^{Obsessive‑compulsive Disorder. Here they are.}

1. Fear of germs or dirt

An uncontrollable passion for hygiene is one of the most common symptoms of OCD.

People with this disorder are desperately afraid that disease-causing microbes will settle on their hands or body. So they wash their hands five times in a row. And repeat the procedure every time you have to touch the doorknob or handset of the office phone. Well, the need to shake hands with a colleague, hug a friend at a meeting, or, let's say, grab a handrail in public transport, becomes their personal nightmare.

2. Unhealthy passion for cleaning

There are people whose houses literally shine. These are neat people. But if everything is clean and guests walk around the apartment like in a museum, but you are still unhappy and have an irresistible desire to rub mirrors and polish the floor in the hallway again and again, we can talk about it - obsessive-compulsive disorder.

3. The need to have everything in order (literally)

A cup left on the table instead of taking its place on the kitchen shelf can cause a natural tantrum in a person with OCD. He is enraged by any things that, in his opinion, are not where they should be. Slippers must be placed on a shoe rack, a program must be under the TV, and even a cat must sit in its basket. A person can be nervous even if the thing is located at the wrong angle.

Some might call this behavior a perfectionistic passion for order. But no - this is also a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

4. Excessive self-doubt

Many people worry about how they look, whether they are doing the right thing and what others will think of them. This is not a problem (more precisely, not the worst of them).

Such experiences become a problem when a person cannot keep them inside.

He wonders endlessly: do these jeans really suit him? Is the mascara smudged? Doesn't he look too fat in this dress? Is he doing the right thing? And now? And now? And here he is also not mistaken?

The neurotic physically needs constant encouragement or reassurance from others that he is all right. This is what obsessive-compulsive disorder is.

5. The need to constantly double-check everything

Standard examples are supposedly an unturned iron or an unturned light, for which a person can return home two or three times. This also includes the need to pull the door handle a dozen times, even if you just locked the door with a lock and bolt. Or, for example, regularly double-check whether the e-mail has exactly gone to the addressee.

6. Obsessive counting

Trying to focus on something, many count to themselves. For example, they whisper: "One, two, three - let's go." This is fine.

But if a person counts the most unexpected things - let's say, the number of trees a tram passes by, or the number of green peas in a brought salad, this is already a reason to be wary. Even worse, if the results of the calculations are disturbing (“There are 13 peas in the salad, the waiter obviously wants to spoil me!”) And they force you to perform some actions (for example, take one pea out of the salad and throw it away). This behavior is already a little beyond normal, yes.

7. Aligning life according to clear rituals

Maybe you arrange your socks in a drawer strictly in the order of the colors of the rainbow. Or at lunch, eat foods in alphabetical order: first drink broth from the soup (the letter “B”), then eat noodles (L), meat (M) and only after that - a boiled egg (I is the last letter of the alphabet). Or go to work the only, strictly defined route. A step to the left, a step to the right - and you already have a panic in half with the certainty that the day will go “wrong”.

If there is any, even the most harmless ritual in your life, the deviation from which causes anxiety, this may be a sign of OCD.

8. Accumulation of things

Healthy behavior is to get rid of clothes, furniture or equipment that have become obviously unusable.

It is unhealthy to think: “Yes, let it lie down (stay), and suddenly one day it will come in handy. ” And do this 100 times, or even 200 times, until the house turns into a warehouse of old things. Uncomfortable, but calm. And it fits perfectly with the symptoms of OCD.

9. Obsession with relationships

Parting with a loved one, quarrel with a friend, conflict with superiors. These are unpleasant, but quite common situations. Everyone has to worry, try to understand what exactly led to the breakup or scandal, everyone has to draw conclusions. But if experiences and self-criticism last for years, you should seek help.

What to do if you suspect obsessive-compulsive disorder

The best option is to see a psychotherapist. The specialist will help you figure out if we are really talking about OCD. Perhaps he will suggest that you take a blood test: sometimes excessive anxiety is a symptom of thyroid disorders, and then you will need to consult an endocrinologist.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, if confirmed, corrected with psychotherapy. Your doctor may also prescribe antidepressants.

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