Doubt and Checking

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Individuals with this type of OCD are often called "checkers." They experience intrusive thoughts about the possibility of unintentionally harming themselves or someone else. They often go through repetitive checking behaviors in order to prevent or avert the perceived threat of harm.

Doubt

Individuals with "Doubt and Checking" OCD often experience intrusive images, impulses, and fears of unintentionally harming someone else. Common harming fears include:

• hitting a pedestrian while driving
• leaving the stove on before going to bed and causing a fire
• forgetting to lock the door at home

The fear of harm is usually accompanied by an overwhelming sense of doubt, dread, or uncertainty, as well as an increased feeling of responsibility.

Checking

In order to relieve these scary feelings and attempt to prevent the potential disaster, repetitive checking behaviors are performed. Such checking behaviors might be:

• looking at the rear-view mirror compulsively while driving to check for injured pedestrians
• getting out of bed over and over again to make sure the stove is turned off
• returning home many times right after leaving for work to check that the house door is locked

Other checking rituals may be mental exercises such as:

• repeating certain "safety" words, phrases, or prayers
• withholding certain words or phrases
• counting to certain numbers