# Anxiety Disorders > Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) >  >  How many people suffer from OCD?

## Dark Knight

I would like to know how common OCD is? 
Thankyou!

----------


## Keddy

I'm not sure what the exact statistic is for how many people globally have OCD, but I know that I have it and I know a fair amount of people who have it. I think as far as anxiety disorders go, it's pretty common.

----------


## Ironman

Keep in mind that there are elements of OCD in SA and vice versa.  Usually with anxiety, there is a component of OCD, but it is not super-prevalent in the disorder.

----------


## Chantellabella

I agree with Ironman, in that there's really no definitive answer because OCD can just be a symptom of other things. I used to diagnose people for a living and learned that people are not their diagnosis. In other words, people can have some symptoms of anything. A diagnosis doesn't define who they are. 

A person can recheck a lock because they have anxiety about being robbed.
Or because they have PTSD from being attacked by an intruder
Or because they have ADHD and tend to forget to lock it

So your question might be really hard to find an answer. I know studies can be made and and estimate can be extrapolated with a study group. That might give you an idea of it's prevalence in terms of symptoms. Tests though can be skewed. Even study groups can be skewed.

----------


## May

I have OCD

----------


## Chloe

i've not been diagnosed and its not dominant of my life but i do have little ticks and ways of doing things that if i don't do i can get really pissed off about. i got bad about washing my hands at one point (didn't help with eczema) but thats stopped/calmed down now

----------


## IllusionOfHappiness

> i've not been diagnosed and its not dominant of my life but i do have little ticks and ways of doing things that if i don't do i can get really pissed off about. i got bad about washing my hands at one point (didn't help with eczema) but thats stopped/calmed down now



This is basically me.

----------


## Koalafan

I have OCD tendencies where I have to check certain things over and over just to make sure they are right (even when I know in the back of my mind they are wrong). If I don't double or triple check then I have elaborate fantasies about how my life will be ruined or I'll be arrested since I didn't check (blank). The pent up anxiety is unbearable ><

----------


## Sagan

Strictly 'O' for me crazy and downright outrageous intrusive thoughts that I can't even share here. Sucks!

----------


## sanspants

> Strictly 'O' for me crazy and downright outrageous intrusive thoughts that I can't even share here. Sucks!



This is me. The compulsions I can often prevent, but not the thought processes themselves. People would think I was a total jerk if I told them what I was obsessing about :/ I can't even tell a therapist. I know a great number of them, and I know the techniques they use. There's no quick, easy, or even direct fix for intrusive thoughts, in my experience. 

I think a lot of people with OCD go undiagnosed, because OCD tendencies are either embarrassing or viewed as actually positive things. For example, I'm dating a dental hygienist. She's incredibly OCD and can't leave the house until all the towels are facing the same direction, the napkins are square with the tablecloth, etc. But she is clean for a living, so her workplace encourages it. She's never going to seek treatment because all of her co-workers are the same way, and they feel it's "necessary to get the job done right." 

I mean really, who tells someone they're "too clean?" Anyway, I've been typing for 15 minutes, so it's time to sanitize the keyboard again...

----------


## enchanted

I have OCD.

----------


## cathering

there is more out there then we know about cuz many people have an ocd and are unaware and even hold down jobs and seem normal ... while others are obvious and out of control... i had one and still do over how much fluids or water i drink per day. and other things ... computer sites and behavior patterns ... etc with coping with physical illness can create ocds... you work on what happened the day before is ok if you can copy it as much as possible it will be ok... that was before i took the ssri... and valium.

----------


## Chloe

i think everyone has a degree of OCD some is okay or manageable within daily life, whereas others gets in the way too much or does damage. i have little niggles like i can notice immediately if something isn't lined up straight, i dont like things that are the wrong way eg deck of cards not all being faced up, i use to be quite bad id line things up on a desk when setting up for lesson, i also use to wash my hands so much that i actually did get very damaging to the point of my pompholyx  eczema got infected and my hands would get so dry that my skin would crack. thankfully the pain i would get from washing my hands helped me get out of excessively washing and now that im finally on track with meds is gone

----------


## Rawr

I definitely do. If I'm in a messy environment, especially if my own home is, I become very ill tempered until something is done. Once I was trying to sweep & people kept walking in the Kitchen stepping in my mess. I started hitting them on the butt with my broom telling them to SHOO & SKAT lol. It was funny but I was very furious. I do not like people to even be around me when I'm trying to clean. I love to be home alone when I clean usually but that never hardly happens. Especially with a 4 year old sister. She sets my OCD off the chain & makes me an angry person cause of it.

----------


## 1

Alot of people

----------


## Lunaire

Chiming in to say that you're note alone!  :hide:

----------

