My OCD doesn't seem to fit the stereotypes. Are there different types of OCD?

The most well known type of ocd is the person who cleans all the time and organizes all the time. this is known as Contamination OCD – the need to clean and wash is the compulsion, the obsessive fear is that something is contaminated and/or may cause illness, and ultimately death, to a loved one or oneself. Mental Contamination In addition to the more familiar type of contamination, that is commonly perceived to be the stereo-typical image of OCD, involving someone that washes their hands repeatedly after coming into contact with potentially dirty objects or environments, there is also a less obvious form called 'mental contamination'. Another well know one is someone who checks to make sure the doors locked fifty million times (like me) this is called "checking" ocd. The need to check is the compulsion, the obsessive fear might be to prevent damage, fire, leaks or harm other types that arent so well known include Hoarding - Another obsession long considered to be part of ‘OCD’ is the inability to discard useless or worn out possessions, commonly referred to as ‘hoarding’. Ruminations 'Rumination' is a term often used to describe all obsessional intrusive thoughts, but this is misleading. In the context of OCD a rumination is actually a train of prolonged thinking about a question or theme that is undirected and unproductive. Unlike obsessional thoughts, ruminations are not objectionable and are indulged rather than resisted. Many ruminations dwell on religious, philosophical, or metaphysical topics, such as the origins of the universe, life after death, the nature of morality, and so on. and the last one might surprise you but Intrusive Thoughts - Intrusive thoughts, in the spectrum of OCD, are where a person generally suffers with obsessional thoughts that are repetitive, disturbing and often horrific and repugnant in nature. For example, thoughts of causing violent or sexual harm to loved ones. (i actually suffer from this as well and we didnt know i had OCD until i told my therapist about the strong "urges" i had to self harm even though im not suicidal) you can read more about these OCDs and a few others here: http://ocduk.org/types-ocd

Yes there are different types of OCD or rather "brands of OCD" as I have heard it referred to as. The other thing I have heard OCD described as is "the doubting disease." Many people think that in order to have OCD you have to be contasntly washing your hands or checking the stove top burners. That is not true. Those two activities are what is known as compulsions. It is in fact possible to have OCD without any much if any noticeable compulsions. I have heard this refered to as "Pure O" which is to say the person has the obsession part of the disease, but not the actual compulsions. As wise as different "brands" of OCD some are more common than others and some more obscure. Some people may be obsessed with the fact that their clothes might be dirty and deep down they know it isn't, but the doubt is to hard to manage so they will go change and they will do this mulitple times a day or hour or what have you. Sometimes you have people who doubt if the wall near them is stable and will have to keep touching it. There is also a "brand" where people doubt their sexual orientation. The person KNOWS their sexual orientation they just keep doubting it. Also, not all compulsions and obsessions match up in logical ways. Still not sure why a person might wash their hands when they doubt if the wall might not stand up, but stranger things have been known to occur. The one common thing that all of them have in common is the doubting and the double guessing. As one man explained, the thing about O.C.D. is that the person keeps doubting something, but if a gun was pointed at their head and asked if the stove was on, the wall was going to fall, if they are or aren't straight..Ever single person with O.C.D. would answer the question correctly. They know the answer they just can't keep from doubting it.

Absolutely! There are 2 main forms of OCD (remember the "O" and "C" in OCD - Obsession and Compulsion). The first type of OCD is generally called 'bad thought' OCD; this is where the person has more intrusive thoughts, rumination (where they keep thinking of a certain thought over and over again), obsession with a certain thought, etc. Even though the thoughts may not be 'bad' per se, the thoughts are intrusive and are always interrupting the person's life. An example may be that a person constantly has thoughts of throwing things, even though they have never done this before. They may have repeating thoughts where they throw things, break things, or damage objects, despite never having been violent in their life at any point. Even though these thoughts are intrusive and distressing, and very real, the person never acts on the thoughts, they are merely 'there'. The second type of OCD is compulsive; this is where the person tries to do anything they can to reduce their anxiety related to a particular situation. This is the compulsive part of OCD. For example, a person who has persistent thoughts about breaking things may divert their attention to cleaning. They may clean everything they own from top to bottom, underneath, and disinfect everything. This is not necessarily because they are afraid of germs, but rather because cleaning allows them to stop the negative thoughts about breaking things. Although there are 2 main forms of OCD, there are countless ways that OCD can present itself. Every person is unique, and every person is a living story. You may not fit the mold of someone with OCD, and that's okay. There is nothing wrong with that. Just because you have OCD doesn't mean you are any different than anyone else; OCD is still distressing, regardless of how it manifests. A third type of mental disorder, not specific to OCD, is when a disorder is classified as NOS (Not Otherwise Specified). What this means is that a person shows many of the symptoms of having a particular disorder, but does not show 'enough' of the symptoms to meet full criteria for a clinical diagnosis. This is not a bad thing, and mental health professionals recognize that the symptoms are just as distressing as anyone else who meets criteria for a disorder. The difference may be that someone who meets criteria for a diagnosis of OCD may have 5 out of 9 symptoms, whereas someone who has OCD-NOS (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified) may only have 4 out 9 symptoms. Often times people who have a -NOS diagnosis notice that their symptoms changes over time; the 4 symptoms they originally showed may not be the same symptoms they have in 6 months. To answer your question briefly: Yes, there are different types and forms of OCD. If you have any doubt, talk to a mental health professional or one of the licensed therapists here on 7 Cups. What is most important it not a diagnosis, but rather how you can manage your symptoms and lead a healthy lifestyle!

No condition is the same for each person, especially when it comes to mental health. Everyone thinks differently and just because you don't match the typical symptoms doesn't mean you're not suffering.

Absolutely. I have OCD, but I'm disorganized and I don't worry about germs. OCD can take many different forms, which can change in type and severity over the course of a lifetime.

There aren’t different ‘types’ of OCD as much as there are different manifestations of OCD. One person may have an obsession that has to do with relationships, whereas another person’s obsessions could be related to contamination. The underlying illness is the same and manifestations of OCD can change over time. Something that a person has obsessed about for a long time can suddenly cease to be an issue for them. And on the same hand, something that has never been an issue can suddenly be an issue.

There are so many different types each compulsion is specific to the person and that persons fears don’t worry it’s nothing to be scared about a lot of people feel the same way as you

There are actually a lot of subtypes of OCD, and they don't all have to do with cleanliness or neatness. The OCD foundation is a great resource if you think you might have obsessive-compulsive tendencies.

Yes there are many very different types of OCD. Few types you can't even tell the person has it. Intrusive thoughts or images that greatly stress one out and interiors their day to day life is also a form. As well as unhealthy obsessions with anything.

There are many different types of OCD. The obsessions/ compulsions one may experience differ from person to person. Order, checking and fear of germs are common symptoms of OCD, but they do not apply to every individual. A diagnosis does not need one to meet stereotypes, only a set criteria (experiencing obsessive thoughts and compulsions over a set amount of time). For example, one may experience instructive thoughts concerning their relationships, and may constantly check in with their partner for reassurance. Other people may experience OCD with 'hidden' or less observable compulsions. Instead of handwashing, for example, you may internally develop guilt over your thoughts or deliberately avoid experiences which are related to your thoughts. Remember, having intrusive thoughts is in no way representative of your 'true' self!