Common OCD Triggers

Obsession Symptoms

As we previously mentioned, OCD obsessions are intrusive, repeated, persistent, and unwanted thoughts, urges, or images that can cause distress or anxiety. In response, the individual might try to ignore their obsessions or get rid of them by performing compulsive or ritualistic behavior. OCD obsessions usually present themselves when you are trying to think or do other things and often follow themes like:

• Aggressive or horrific thoughts about losing control and harming yourself or others
• Doubting and having difficulty tolerating uncertainty
• Fear of contamination or dirt
• Needing things orderly and symmetrical
• Unwanted thoughts, including aggression, sexual, or religious subjects

Some examples of obsessions include:

• Fear of being contaminated from touching objects other people have touched, such as doorknobs in public places
• Doubts that you have locked the door or turned off the stove
• Intense stress when things are not in order
• Images of driving your car into a crowd of people
• Unpleasant sexual thoughts and images

Compulsion Symptoms

OCD compulsions refer to repetitive behaviors that a person with OCD feels driven to perform. These behaviors or mental acts are meant to reduce the anxiety caused by their obsessions or prevent something bad from happening. However, engaging in these compulsions brings no pleasure and usually only offers temporary relief from the anxiety caused by their obsessions.

People with OCD will make up rules or rituals to follow to help them control their anxiety when they are having obsessive thoughts. These compulsions are excessive and often are not realistically related to the problem they are trying to fix.

Like obsessions, compulsions may also have themes, such as:

• Checking
• Counting
• Demanding reassurance
• Following a strict routine
• Orderliness
• Washing and cleaning

Common examples of OCD behavior and compulsions include:

• Arranging canned foods to face the same way
• Checking doors repeatedly to make sure they are locked
• Checking the stove repeatedly to make sure it is off
• Handwashing until the skin is raw and chapped
• Silently repeating a prayer, phrase, or word

The onset of OCD usually begins in someone’s teen or young adult years, but it can also begin in childhood. Symptoms are usually gradual in the beginning and may intensify throughout life. The types of obsessions and compulsions a person with OCD experiences may also change over time. If your obsessions or compulsions are affecting your quality of life, reach out to a facility for mental health care, such as our Pompano Beach treatment center, to learn how to properly cope with symptoms and regain control of your life.

Common Triggers for OCD

A trigger is something in our environment or mind that causes us to experience a certain thought, feeling, or act a certain way. As with many other mental health disorders, OCD can be triggered. While the direct cause of OCD is impossible to pinpoint, certain people, places, things, and situations can contribute to obsessions and compulsions.

Additionally, just as OCD is different for each person, so are triggers. There are an infinite number of things that can be triggering to one person but not another, including thoughts, objects, and sensations. Triggers can also be compounded by stress, trauma, and life changes, meaning they can change and intensify over time.

Below are some common examples of OCD triggers to look out for.

Stress

Stress is the most common OCD trigger on the list, and it is also the toughest one to cope with, considering that everyone experiences stress at one point or another. Whether caused by work, school, or family, research has shown that Americans are among the most stressed people in the world.¹ While experiencing stress is normal and sometimes healthy and helpful, long-term stress can easily trigger OCD symptoms.

Trauma

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), trauma is defined as “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident … or natural disaster.” Research has discovered a high rate of OCD among individuals who have been exposed to or have experienced trauma.^2,3 Often, when people either witness or experience a traumatic event, it leads to physical and psychological distress. This is often to the point where the individual is unable to recover from the event and develops post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

It is common for trauma and OCD to coincide. In fact, studies show an increased likelihood of OCD within a year of a PTSD diagnosis, otherwise referred to as trauma-related OCD.³

Major Life Changes

Change is a natural part of life, but unfortunately, this is also a major point of stress for someone with OCD. Major life changes like going away to college, starting a new job, and even the loss of a loved one are all common triggers of OCD in adults. However, while symptoms may increase in cases of change, it does not mean you have to avoid change or blame yourself for having gone through it. This is normal in life, and we often cannot get to where we would like to be without some change. However, the biggest trigger is increased uncertainty.

Other types of OCD triggers to consider can include:

• Breakup or divorce
• Bullying
• Death of a loved one
• Family problems
• Job change or unemployment
• Loss of a personally valuable object
• Marriage
• Moving/relocation
• Pregnancy/childbirth
• Problems at school
• Serious physical illness or hospitalization of oneself or a loved one