Resources
OCD Symptom Checklist
An interactive educational checklist you can complete privately in your browser and summarize for discussion with a qualified professional.
Check any symptoms that feel familiar. Your selections stay private in this browser and remain saved if you refresh the page.
Contamination
- Fear of contamination from germs, dirt, or bodily fluids
- Fear of spreading illness to others
- Fear of touching public objects, doorknobs, railings, or shared surfaces
- Excessive hand washing or sanitizing
- Excessive showering, cleaning, or disinfecting
- Avoiding bathrooms, hospitals, public places, or items considered contaminated
- Concern that household items, clothing, or food are contaminated
- Repeating cleaning until it feels “right”
Checking
- Checking locks, doors, windows, or appliances repeatedly
- Checking that lights, stoves, faucets, or electronics are off
- Re-reading messages, emails, or forms to prevent mistakes
- Returning to places to make sure nothing bad happened
- Checking one’s body for signs of illness or injury
- Seeking certainty that a task was completed correctly
Symmetry & Ordering
- Need for items to be even, symmetrical, balanced, or aligned
- Reordering objects until they feel “just right”
- Repeating actions until they feel complete
- Distress when objects are moved or arranged incorrectly
- Counting, tapping, or touching in a specific sequence
- Needing routines to be performed in a precise order
Harm OCD
- Intrusive fears of accidentally harming someone
- Intrusive fears of intentionally harming oneself or others
- Avoiding knives, driving, balconies, or other feared triggers
- Checking memories to make sure no harm occurred
- Fear of losing control and acting against one’s values
- Excessive guilt over normal thoughts or impulses
Sexual OCD
- Intrusive unwanted sexual thoughts, images, or urges
- Fear of being sexually inappropriate or dangerous
- Fear of sexual orientation uncertainty
- Avoiding people, places, or situations that trigger intrusive thoughts
- Reviewing past interactions for reassurance
- Excessive checking of bodily responses or feelings
Religious / Scrupulosity
- Fear of blasphemous or sacrilegious thoughts
- Fear of sinning, offending God, or being morally impure
- Repeated prayer, confession, or ritualized repentance
- Excessive concern with right and wrong
- Seeking reassurance from religious leaders or loved ones
- Repeating religious practices until they feel acceptable
Relationship OCD
- Doubting whether one loves a partner enough
- Doubting whether one is with the “right” person
- Comparing a relationship to others
- Checking feelings, attraction, or emotional responses
- Seeking reassurance about the relationship
- Avoiding commitment or intimacy because of uncertainty
Health OCD
- Fear of having a serious illness despite reassurance
- Repeatedly checking symptoms, pulse, skin, or body sensations
- Excessive internet searching about diseases
- Seeking repeated medical reassurance
- Avoiding medical information or medical settings
- Difficulty trusting test results or professional reassurance
Existential OCD
- Intrusive doubts about reality, existence, or identity
- Repetitive questioning about the meaning of life
- Fear of never feeling certain about philosophical questions
- Rumination about consciousness, time, or free will
- Feeling trapped in “what if” thinking
- Seeking reassurance or proof about unanswerable questions
Somatic OCD
- Hyperawareness of breathing, blinking, swallowing, or heartbeat
- Fear that attention will never shift away from a body sensation
- Monitoring bodily sensations throughout the day
- Avoiding quiet settings because sensations become more noticeable
- Repeated attempts to control automatic body processes
- Distress about normal sensations feeling “stuck”
Hoarding
- Difficulty discarding items even when they are not needed
- Fear of throwing away something important
- Saving items “just in case”
- Distress when others touch, move, or discard possessions
- Excessive accumulation that interferes with living space
- Difficulty organizing possessions because decisions feel overwhelming
Mental Compulsions
- Repeating words, phrases, prayers, or numbers mentally
- Reviewing memories to gain certainty
- Mentally neutralizing a bad thought with a good thought
- Replaying conversations or events repeatedly
- Trying to prove or disprove intrusive thoughts
- Counting or performing mental rituals to reduce anxiety
Reassurance Seeking
- Asking others if everything is okay
- Asking whether one did something wrong
- Repeatedly confessing thoughts or feelings
- Searching online for reassurance
- Asking the same question in different ways
- Feeling temporary relief after reassurance, followed by renewed doubt
Other Compulsions
- Avoiding triggers, people, places, or responsibilities
- Repeating actions until anxiety decreases
- Touching, tapping, arranging, or counting rituals
- Excessive list-making or note-taking for certainty
- Comparing, testing, or monitoring feelings
- Delaying decisions until they feel safe or certain
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