Obsessions in OCD can cause people to worry about the cleanliness of themselves and their surroundings. They may have unwanted thoughts about sex. This could include fantasizing about perverse mental images or worrying about the consequences of sexual contact. They may also become worried about numbers, patterns, and other items being exact.
Being obsessed is one of the main OCD symptoms. Medical professionals tend to agree that people with OCD are generally aware of their obsessions. It is widely believed that these individuals want to stop having those thoughts and many are aware that their lack of ability to do so creates problems. Yet, the disorder overcomes many sufferers and they continue to have unwanted thoughts.
One of the common obsessions in OCD is cleanliness. Many people picture OCD sufferers as compulsive hand washers. Many do possess obsessions with bodily germs and uncleanliness. The obsession with dirt and contamination, however, often extends beyond concern for their own bodies. OCD sufferers are commonly concerned with their surroundings being unsanitary. Furthermore, these individuals tend to struggle with obsessions concerning bodily waste and other bodily fluids.
OCD sufferers can have abnormal concerns about the results of their sexual relations. These obsessions in OCD can manifest in a number of ways. One of them is the fear of becoming pregnant or causing pregnancy. Other sufferers struggle with obsessions of contracting infections such as HIV and sexually transmitted diseases. This should not, however, be confused with hypochondria, in which people constantly believe they are already ill.
Recurrent sexual thoughts are one of the common obsessions in OCD. There is a wide range of thoughts or ideas a person with this condition could have. Among them, the International OCD Foundation lists inappropriate thoughts about children, obsessions about aggressive relations, and about perverse impulses and images.
Concerns about things being exact is another common and varied category of obsessions in OCD. People with the condition can become obsessed with sounds, including specific noises or manners of speaking. They may also obsess over items with parts of unequal lengths.
Numbers create numerous obsessions in OCD. A person may become obsessed with remembering certain numbers or determining the meaning of them. She may feel the need to count items she has already counted several times or she may have thoughts of counting certain items every time she encounters them. For example, a woman may think of counting all of the grapes in a bag after every purchase.