There is only a fine line that separates normal fears, diligence and mannerisms from the earliest signs of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD. The strength, frequency and intensity of OCD symptoms gradually increase; its because of this that parents and affected individuals themselves only recognize OCD symptoms as they are when its already too late.

People must also know the difference between OCD and OCPD because it makes advance awareness of OCD symptoms unnecessary; people diagnosed to have Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder are generally unaffected about their behaviors.

1. Common characteristics of people with OCD

People showing OCD symptoms are bothered not only of what theyre doing, but also at the intensity of their actions. They also display secondary avoidance behavior, or make habitual actions they believe will help them avoid the source of their OCD.

2. Types of OCD symptoms

Dirt and Contamination

When people are obsessed at avoiding being dirty or contaminated, they frequently wash their hands and feet, clean and bathe their bodies. They do not feel comfortable about bodily waste and urinating because these procedures are often disgusting to look at or experience. They also feel extremely and unreasonably anxious about contracting dreadful illnesses on almost any setting.

Order and Symmetry

These people always want to live in extremely neat surroundings. While theyre not that obsessed about getting sick from dirt, they do care very much about their appearances. They always want to look and feel clean. They are perfectionists when it comes to ordering and aligning objects. They can spend hours just to obtain the precise positioning of their things.

Keeping Things

People diagnosed to have OCD symptoms about saving things for future use are incapable of throwing any object, even a piece of candy wrapper, in fear of throwing something that could prove useful or necessary in the future. These people are uncaring about the neatness of their surroundings or the order of their possessions. All they care to do is stash everything they can. People suffering from this particular OCD may also be meticulous about that object goes where.

Sexual Matters

These people are usually highly uncomfortable about their sexuality. There may be psychological reasons behind this, but nevertheless, their discomfort leads them to display several OCD symptoms when they are confronted with any situation that appears highly sexual in their minds. Thus, they are very fearful of being accused of having any malicious sexual intent to any other individual, especially children and innocents, even if they have no desire to do so. They will also display extra-conservative attitudes on many things, even on subjects that have no sexual connotations at all.

Symptoms on Habits

A person may develop OCD symptoms on certain habits or actions for no reason at all. When this happens, they become obsessed at performing these tasks over and over. It could be something as silly as repeating questions several times or counting money repeatedly before handing it over.

Food and Weight

In most cases, people have OCD symptoms about how much theyre gaining and not on losing. Its why these people can drive others crazy on their behavior towards eating. They may wish, for instance, to know the exact calorie and cholesterol content of every dish before they allow themselves to eat. Even though theyre considered slim by most standards, they still feel fat and ungainly. For this reason, people with OCD symptoms on food and weight may also suffer from eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia.

Religion and Morality

Some zealous individuals have OCD symptoms when it comes to living according to their religions dogma. They have very definite opinions on all issues of morality; they are obsessed about always being in the right, and never in the wrong. They are also extremely distressed when they feel theyve made a grave sin, or entertain any blasphemous or evil thought.

With proper therapy, affected individuals will learn to cope with OCD symptoms and accept that the disorder is there to stay until an effective cure is created. As a last note, you must keep in mind that an individual can develop OCD symptoms about anything. Hence, lists of OCD symptoms will only give you at best an idea of general areas that individuals may have OCD tendencies about.