I have an obsessive worry that noticing mild symptoms means I am going to develop an illness. I spend a lot of time online looking for symptoms.
I repeatedly check my pockets and bags for valuables like wallets, bank cards, mobile phones, or essential documents whenever I leave a place until I feel the check is complete.
I keep staring at and checking the gas or electric stove knob to ensure it is securely in the off position.
I repeatedly check if the tap is turned off or stare at it until I am confident it is off.
I continuously check if my car is secure and the lights are off by pulling on the door handles, staring at the lights, and repeatedly checking the light switch to ensure it is in the off position.
I spend a lot of time verifying that my home or office alarm is set, repeatedly resetting it until I feel confident it's properly activated.
I repeatedly check lights, lamps, and electrical devices at night before bed to make sure they are turned off.
I spend a significant amount of time re-reading every line of text multiple times because I fear I might say something inappropriate.
I am constantly searching through my memories to determine if I've hurt someone.
I repeatedly check the door and window locks, pulling the handles multiple times until I feel certain they are secure.
I fear touching items in the bathroom.
Fear of germs makes me uncomfortable in hospitals.
I avoid being in a crowd, public toilets, and eating in public locations.
I fear coming into contact with chemicals.
I feel dirty when I do something wrong or am harshly criticized, and I feel the need to wash myself.
I fear coming into contact with germs from coins and notes, leading to avoidance of cash.
I fear touching door knobs, handles, clothes, and staircase banisters.
I want clothes on the rail to be perfectly hung and facing the same direction.
I frequently change the wording in emails, texts and notes.
It bothers me when items or belongings aren't aligned a certain way.
I am obsessed with keeping everything neat and in its proper place at all times.
I feel the need to constantly arrange clothes by color.
I have to make sure pictures are always aligned and straight.
I repeatedly rearrange, reorder, and reorganize things.
I want books to be perfectly lined up in a row on the bookshelf.
I want everything to be spotless, with no marks or smudges on windows or surfaces.
I believe something terrible might happen if I don't arrange or organize things correctly.
I experience intrusive thoughts about causing harm to myself or others.
I believe that certain numbers and colors bring good luck.
I am often hyperaware of my body parts, which can be distracting.
I am constantly analyzing and questioning my romantic relationship.
I constantly seek reassurance and approval from my partner.
I fear that I might be performing my prayers and other religious rituals incorrectly.
I frequently ponder philosophical questions that lack clear answers.
I worry that thinking about something bad will make it more likely to happen.
I feel the need to say something out loud or repeat it mentally to counteract my intrusive thoughts.
I have a fear of being attracted to members of my own gender.
What is OCD?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a recognized mental disorder in which a person suffers from obsessive, fear-based thoughts and compulsions to act out in ways that ease those fears. Obsession means you’re thinking about something over and over. Compulsion means you feel compelled to act in ways that are primarily out of your control.1Starcevic, V., Berle, D., Brakoulias, V., Sammut, P., Moses, K., Milicevic, D., & Hannan, A. (2011). Functions of compulsions in obsessive–compulsive disorder. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 45(6), 449-457. In OCD, obsessions can occur without any visible compulsions.2McKay, D., Abramowitz, J. S., Calamari, J. E., Kyrios, M., Radomsky, A., Sookman, D., … & Wilhelm, S. (2004). A critical evaluation of obsessive–compulsive disorder subtypes: Symptoms versus mechanisms. Clinical psychology review, 24(3), 283-313.
When you’re afraid that something bad might happen, you naturally think about it more often. Your mind prioritizes safety and neutralization of the threat. However, in OCD, the compulsions are excessive and not proportionate to the threats they’re designed to tackle.
For instance, washing hands 2-3 times with soap is normal if they’re dirty. However, doing so 20-30 times is not and points to OCD. The excessiveness of compulsions makes OCD disruptive to everyday life. If you spend much time easing your perceived fears, you have little time and energy left for other things.
Types of OCD
Checking | Excessive checking to prevent harm |
Cleaning | Avoidance of contamination |
Ordering | Making things orderly and ‘just right’ |
Rumination | Intrusive thoughts often related to harm |
About the test
This test consists of 40 items in a Yes/No format. There are 10 items in each category. The greater your overall score, the higher the likelihood of having OCD. You’ll also be shown a category-level breakdown of your score for each OCD subtype. Note that a high score on a subtype has nothing to do with the intensity of that subtype. Obsessions and compulsions are intense by default.
The scores on OCD subtypes tell you how prevalent that subtype is. If you score high on a subtype, it means that your obsessive-compulsive behavior manifests in multiple ways under the subtype. Scoring low on a subtype means it manifests less often under that subtype.
The test is completely anonymous and free to take. We neither collect nor share your information with anyone.
References
- 1Starcevic, V., Berle, D., Brakoulias, V., Sammut, P., Moses, K., Milicevic, D., & Hannan, A. (2011). Functions of compulsions in obsessive–compulsive disorder. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 45(6), 449-457.
- 2McKay, D., Abramowitz, J. S., Calamari, J. E., Kyrios, M., Radomsky, A., Sookman, D., … & Wilhelm, S. (2004). A critical evaluation of obsessive–compulsive disorder subtypes: Symptoms versus mechanisms. Clinical psychology review, 24(3), 283-313.