Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- ubcprojectpaths
- Jan 8
- 1 min read
UBC PATHS Blog Post: Jan 8, 2026
What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, also known as OCD, is a mental disorder consisting of 2 major components – obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are recurring, unwanted and unpleasant thoughts, ideas, urges or images. Compulsions, on the other hand, are actions that people with OCD feel the urge of doing repetitively to get rid of obsessions.
Causes of OCD
Currently, there are no comprehensive reasons to answer the question of what causes OCD. The field believes that there is no single cause and that OCD is very complex with a combination of causes. Common suggestions are the interactions between genetics (eg. family history), environmental factors (eg. trauma) and more.
Common misconceptions of OCD
Many people experience obsessions and compulsions, but that does not mean they have OCD. Individuals with OCD find these obsessions and compulsions to be problematic and time consuming, which leads to emotional distress and daily life disruptions.
OCD is not just about washing their hands frequently, or being extremely clean. The compulsion to maintain cleanliness can be a symptom of OCD, but it’s not all. Most people with OCD have both obsessions and compulsions, and obsessions is an important component because it explains why compulsions are present. Furthermore, compulsions do not necessarily come in the form of actions, but also thoughts. Behavioural compulsions are more likely mentioned because mental compulsions are difficult to spot since only the individual who experiences them is aware.
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