Here are some examples of OCD variations:
• Excessive Washing (e.g., washing hands many dozens of times a day; taking very prolonged showers; cleaning the house or other environment to an extreme degree): What drives this behavior is fear of contamination by germs, dirt or other feared substance;
•Checking: Checking rituals may be highly elaborate and time-consuming, and they frequently are driven by doubt (e.g.,” Have I forgotten to check that the stove is off? Should I check it for the 90th time just to make sure? If the house burns down it will be all my fault!”);
•Hoarding: Sufferers fear losing possessions or something they may need, sometimes filling entire houses from floor to ceiling with what others would consider junk;
•Counting:: These symptoms may be purely obsessive and sometimes include a need for order as well. The counting is typically superstitious, a mental ritual designed to atone for sin (real or imagined) or ward off catastrophe.
We will consider some treatment options for this condition in an upcoming post. There are a number of licensed therapists and counselors in the greater Denver area who specialize in the treatment of OCD.