Everyone becomes preoccupied with thoughts or worries sometimes. But some people battle serious obsessions and compulsions that seem out of their control. They may have an excessive fear of contamination or worry that they’ve harmed others. They may compulsively wash their hands, check to see that doors are locked, feel compelled to arrange objects in an exact order or hoard things.
Such people may suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which affects 1 in 50 adults. For a better understanding of the disorder, visit the Web site www.ocfoundation.org.
The Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation is a non-profit organization started by people with OCD. Its purpose is to educate the public on this and related disorders, to help people and their families cope with OCD and to support research into its causes and treatments. The site discusses what OCD is and how it’s treated.
