OCD and Other Compulsive Disorders

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Unwanted and intrusive thoughts, urges, and images (obsessions) and attempts to ignore, get rid of, or neutralize these experiences through a thought or action (compulsions). Obsessions can include topics of contamination, harm, sensorimotor, self-control, "just-right", sin/morality, sexuality. Compulsions can include cleaning, checking, counting, arranging, repeating.

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Body Focused Repetitive Behaviours (BFRBs)​

BFRBs are a cluster of compulsive and habitual behaviours that include hair pulling (trichotillomania), skin picking (excoriation), nail biting, nose picking, and lip or cheek biting. These conditions may or may not occur alongside compulsive consumption of the hair, skin, nails, etc.

Anxiety and Stress Related Disorders

Specific and Social Phobias

Excessive fear of certain objects or situations (e.g., fear of blood or medical procedures, fear of body dysfunctioning [choking, vomiting, incontinence], fear of social situations [e.g., shy bladder])

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Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Excessive anxiety or worry about a range of topics

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Panic Attacks

Abrupt onset of intense fear, discomfort, and somatic symptoms

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Separation Anxiety Disorder

Excessive fear or anxiety concerning separation from others

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PTSD and Stressor Related Disorders

Prolonged distress reactions that are precipitated by stress/trauma

Somatic Symptoms

and Related Disorders

Illness Anxiety Disorder (hypochondriasis or health anxiety)

Worries that you (or a loved one) may have or could acquire a serious disease or illness (e.g., heart disease, neurological condition, cancer)

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Somatic Symptom Disorder

Distress and preoccupation with one or more physical symptoms (e.g., heart palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea and abdominal discomfort, difficulty swallowing/dry mouth, headaches, dizziness, numbness/tingling, fatigue, trembling/shaking, poor concentration, blurred vision)

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Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder (FNSD)

Symptoms of altered motor or sensory function (e.g., weakness or paralysis, abnormal movement/seizures, swallowing or speech symptoms, anesthesia or sensory loss) that are incompatible with other neurological conditions

Sleep and Functional Medical Conditions

Sleep Difficulties

Problems or distress with sleep. Common sleep difficulties include insomnia (problems initiating, staying, or poor quality sleep), unwanted sleep behaviours (sleep walking, talking, eating) and experiences (sleep paralysis, recurrent nightmares, hypnogogic hallucinations), hypersomnolence (excessive sleepiness), circadian rhythm disorders, discomfort or claustrophobia with sleep breathing devices.

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Functional Medical Conditions

Medical symptoms or syndromes that are idiopathic (of unknown cause) despite having clear dysfunction of the related system (e.g., gastrointestinal system). Example syndromes include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), interstitial cystitis (IC)/bladder pain syndrome (BPS), and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Functional symptoms without a syndrome are often called medically unexplained symptoms (MUS).