can become uncontrollable, persistent and invasive, and so they may try to alleviate them through compulsive rituals: repeatedly washing their hands, for instance, if they fear being contaminated from touching surfaces like doors and counter tops.But how exactly do the obsessive thoughts of people with OCD differ from the more garden-variety intrusive thoughts we all experience from time to time?
Audet conducted a systematic review to determine what characteristics are specific to OCD compared to intrusive thoughts in the general population and in people suffering from anxiety and depression., Audet's analysis showed that the intrusive thoughts of people with OCD are more frequent, last longer and create a need to act on the compulsion in order to neutralize their thoughts.
"These thoughts provoke higher levels of guilt than in other anxiety-related disorders," said Audet."They are also experienced as more unpleasant, unacceptable and uncontrollable, and are associated with a higher degree of fear that the thought will become a reality." "People with OCD think their actions could put them in danger—for example, their carelessness could cause them to be robbed or get sick," explained Audet."By contrast, depressed people don't believe they are a danger to themselves but are consumed by feelings of worthlessness, and people with anxiety perceive themselves as victims of external danger.