Anxiety disorder
Obsessive–compulsive disorder

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is not an anxiety disorder in the DSM-5 or the ICD-11. However, it was classified as such in older versions of the DSM-IV and ICD-10. OCD manifests in the form of obsessions (distressing, persistent, and intrusive thoughts or images) and compulsions (urges to repeatedly perform specific acts or rituals) that are not caused by drugs or physical disorders and which cause anxiety or distress plus (more or less important) functional disabilities. OCD affects roughly 1–2% of adults (somewhat more women than men) and under 3% of children and adolescents.

A person with OCD knows that the symptoms are unreasonable and struggles against both the thoughts and the behavior. Their symptoms could be related to external events they fear, such as their home burning down because they forgot to turn off the stove, or they could worry that they will behave inappropriately. The compulsive rituals are personal rules they follow to relieve discomfort, such as needing to verify that the stove is turned off a specific number of times before leaving the house.

It is not certain why some people have OCD, but behavioral, cognitive, genetic, and neurobiological factors may be involved. Risk factors include family history, being single, being of a higher socioeconomic class, or not being in paid employment. Of those with OCD, about 20% of people will overcome it, and symptoms will at least reduce over time for most people (a further 50%).
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