Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder that can afflict a person throughout their life. OCD sometimes runs in families, but no one knows for sure why some people suffer from it while others don't. Researchers have found that different parts of the brain are involved in fear and anxiety. About one in 50 people suffer from OCD at some point in their lives. OCD usually begins in the teens or early twenties. Obsession and Compulsion are the main components of this disorder. Obsessions are thoughts or images that don't go away. An obsession is intrusive and normally seen as irrational, but the person with OCD is unable to stop or ignore these thoughts. Some common obsessions include the fear of getting sick from germs. Some constantly worry if the stove was turned off when they left the house. People with OCD experience fear along with obsessive thoughts. Sometimes obsessions can be mild and occur every now and then. Other times obsessive thoughts may occur constantly. These thoughts can occur on a daily basis. Obsessive thoughts can interfere with daily life, causing problems in work relationships. Some common obsessions include fear of dirt, fear of getting sick, constant thoughts of a certain number and need to do something in a certain order or a certain way, fear of germs, worrying about whether something has been done “right”. Obsessions are recurring thoughts but compulsions are recurring actions. Compulsions are usually ways for people to free themselves from their obsessive thoughts. For example, if a person has an obsession with germs, they will continually wash their hands to keep them away. When a person continually repeats an action, obsessions may disappear. They usually came back after a round... half of paper... down to a 'bad' number.""Getting dressed in the morning was difficult, because I had a routine, and if I did If I didn't follow the routine, I would get anxious and have to get dressed. I was always afraid that if I didn't do something my parents would die. I had these terrible thoughts of hurting my parents. I knew it was completely irrational, but the thoughts triggered more anxiety and more senseless behavior. Because of the time I devoted to the rituals, I was unable to do many things that were important to me." "I knew the rituals were meaningless and I was deeply ashamed of them, but I couldn't seem to overcome them until I received treatment . “OCD is a really difficult illness to live with on a daily basis. It can take over your life and make you so unhappy. It limits the things you really want to do and that's not right. So be grateful for the life you have.