Types and Subtypes of OCD (With Symptoms & Examples)

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can be an immensely challenging and distressing mental health condition. OCD can interfere with a person's life and cause significant distress.

People with OCD often experience unwanted obsessions and engage in compulsive behaviors to alleviate the emotional distress caused by their obsessions.

While most people associate obsessive-compulsive disorder with excessive cleanliness and repetitive checking, there are hundreds of subtypes of OCD, each characterized by distinct symptom clusters and behavior patterns.

Get Started With Nuview Treatment Center

Our dedicated professional staff is here to guide you or your loved one on the journey to lasting recovery, offering support every step of the way.

(323) 307-7997

What Are the Major Types of OCD?

There are many types and subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), each with its symptoms and challenges. However, the major types of OCD can be classified as:

Contamination OCD

Contamination OCD involves an intense fear of germs, dirt, or illness. Individuals with this subtype may compulsively wash their hands or avoid touching certain objects or surfaces.

They may also experience mental contamination, where they feel dirty emotionally, even if there is no physical source of contamination.

Individuals with Contamination OCD may wash their hands multiple times throughout the day, avoid public restrooms, or refuse to touch doorknobs without a barrier, such as a tissue.

Checking OCD

Checking OCD is characterized by persistent doubts and fears about safety or harm. Individuals may repeatedly check locks, appliances, or stoves to ensure they are turned off.

They often experience intrusive thoughts about potential disasters if they don't perform these checks.

A person with Checking OCD might return home several times to confirm they've locked the front door, even though they remember doing it earlier.

Symmetry and Ordering OCD

Symmetry and Ordering OCD manifests as an overwhelming need for things to be arranged symmetrically or in a specific order.

Individuals may spend excessive time arranging objects to achieve perfect symmetry or alignment. Any deviation from this pattern can trigger anxiety and distress.

Someone with this subtype might spend hours arranging books on a shelf until they are perfectly aligned or become agitated if items on a desk aren't perfectly organized.

Ruminations / Intrusive Thoughts OCD

This subtype involves persistent and distressing intrusive thoughts or mental images. These thoughts often concern fears of harm, violence, or disturbing themes.

People with Ruminations OCD may use mental rituals, such as counting or repeating phrases, to neutralize disturbing thoughts.

Individuals might experience intrusive thoughts about harming a loved one and then repeatedly count to a specific number in their head to counteract the distress.

Hoarding OCD

Hoarding OCD or hoarding disorder is characterized by an inability to discard possessions, even when they are useless.

People with this subtype accumulate excessive items, leading to clutter and distress. Their attachment to objects can disrupt their daily life.

Someone with Hoarding OCD may have stacks of old newspapers, magazines, and items they no longer use, making their living space unusable.

Note: These are just a few major types of OCD. This condition can take many forms, and people may experience symptoms that don't neatly fit into these categories.

Get Started With Nuview Treatment Center

Start Your Journey

What Are the Other Subtypes of OCD?

There are many subtypes of OCD, each with its specific obsessions and compulsions. Some of the other subtypes of OCD are:

• Pure-O OCD 

Pure-O OCD primarily involves intrusive and distressing thoughts or mental images without apparent external compulsions. These obsessions can range from fears of violence to taboo sexual thoughts.

• Scrupulosity or Religious OCD

People with Scrupulosity or Religious OCD experience obsessions related to morality or religion. Common symptoms include excessively confessing, praying, or seeking reassurance from other people or religious figures to alleviate their anxiety about perceived moral transgressions.

• Hit and Run OCD

Individuals with Hit and Run OCD have intense fears of causing accidents while driving. They might repeatedly revisit the scene of minor incidents or constantly check their rearview mirror.

• Sexual Orientation OCD

Sexual OCD involves intrusive doubts about one's sexual orientation or identity. Individuals may perform rituals to reassure themselves about their true orientation or perform compulsions such as avoiding the same sex or checking their attraction.

• Suicidal/Self-harm OCD

People with Suicidal/Self-harm OCD experience intrusive thoughts about self-harm or suicide. They may perform rituals to counteract these distressing thoughts, such as hiding sharp objects or avoiding heights.

• Aggressive OCD

Aggressive OCD involves obsessions about causing harm to others or acting violently. The person may have intrusive thoughts or images of killing, stabbing, shooting, or raping someone.

The person may perform compulsions such as avoiding weapons, avoiding certain people or situations, or seeking reassurance from others.

• Pedophilia OCD

Individuals with Pedophilia OCD may have obsessions about being sexually attracted to children or molesting them. They may avoid contact with children or seek reassurance to confirm their non-pedophilic orientation.

• Relationship OCD

Relationship OCD is characterized by persistent doubts and anxieties about one's romantic relationship. They may obsessively question their feelings or the fidelity of their partner.

• Sensorimotor/Somatic OCD

Sensorimotor/Somatic OCD involves obsessions about one's bodily sensations or functions. The person may perform visible compulsions like controlling their breathing, swallowing excessively, blinking deliberately, or avoiding certain foods or activities.

• Magical Thinking OCD

People with Magical Thinking OCD believe that their thoughts or actions have the power to cause unrelated events or disasters. They may perform rituals to prevent these feared outcomes.

• Health Concern OCD

Health Concern OCD centers on excessive concern or fear of having a severe medical condition or mental illness despite no evidence. People with Health Concerns with OCD may constantly seek medical reassurance and undergo unnecessary physical exams.

• Existential OCD

Existential OCD revolves around intrusive thoughts about the nature of existence, the meaning of life, or mortality. It can lead to profound philosophical distress.

• Confessing OCD

Confessing OCD symptoms involve an urge to repeatedly confess perceived wrongdoings or intrusive thoughts to others. This compulsion stems from an overwhelming need for reassurance.

• Hair Pulling Disorder (Trichotillomania) and Skin Picking OCD

These subtypes involve compulsive behaviors of pulling hair (Trichotillomania) or picking at the skin (Excoriation Disorder) to cope with stress or anxiety.

• Perfectionism OCD

Perfectionism OCD leads to an intense desire for things to be flawless, often causing individuals to spend excessive time on tasks or projects and experience distress when perfection is unattainable.

• Contamination Fear OCD

Contamination OCD includes fear of germs, dirt, or contamination, leading to excessive cleaning, avoidance of certain places, or distress when exposed to perceived contaminants.

• Harm OCD

Harm OCD symptoms involve obsessive fears of causing harm to others or oneself, leading to compulsive rituals aimed at preventing such harm.

• Just Right OCD

Just Right OCD is characterized by a strong urge for things to feel just right. Individuals may repeatedly adjust or align objects to achieve a specific internal sense of perfection.

• Noise Sensitivity OCD

People with Noise Sensitivity OCD experience extreme distress and anxiety in response to certain sounds or noises, leading to avoidance behaviors like wearing earplugs, avoiding noisy environments, or getting angry at others who make noise.

• Numbers and Counting OCD

Numbers and counting OCD symptoms involve a fascination with or aversion to specific numbers. People with this type of OCD may count objects, steps, or words, avoid numbers that they consider unlucky, or perform calculations in their heads.

• Word and Language OCD

Word and Language OCD subtypes involve a fear of saying or hearing certain words. They may repeat phrases in their minds, avoid words they consider offensive or taboo, or have difficulty speaking.

• Confession OCD

This type of OCD involves a fear of being dishonest, immoral, or guilty. This person's OCD may compel them to confess to real or imagined wrongdoings, seek forgiveness, or avoid lying.

• Memory Hoarding OCD

This type involves an obsession with remembering or preserving every detail of one's past experiences. People with this type may fear forgetting something important, losing something valuable, or missing out on something.

• Smell and Odor OCD

These OCD subtypes have obsessions and compulsions about smells or odors that are real or imagined. People with this type may fear smelling bad, offending others, or being contaminated by a smell.

They may feel compelled to smell themselves or others, to use perfumes or deodorants, or to avoid certain smells or places.

• Color and Pattern OCD

This type involves an obsession with colors or patterns that are pleasing or displeasing to the eye.

How Is OCD Treated for Different Types of OCD?

Treatment for OCD, regardless of the subtype, usually involves a combination of psychotherapy and, in some cases, medication.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), specifically Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), is highly effective in helping individuals confront and manage their obsessions and compulsions.

Medications such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) may also be prescribed to reduce anxiety and obsessive thoughts.

Remember that no matter the OCD subtype, OCD is curable with appropriate treatment.

A comprehensive approach can significantly improve the quality of life for those with OCD, and many individuals achieve long-lasting remission from their symptoms through these treatments.

A Word From NuView Treatment Center

At NuView Treatment Center, we understand that living with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) or OCD with co-occurring disorders can be incredibly challenging. We want you to know that you're not alone, and we're here to help.

Our compassionate team of clinicians and therapists specializes in treating OCD, substance abuse, and co-occurring conditions. We offer tailored programs, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), to address your unique needs.

Contact us today to find out more about how we can help.

Start Your Personalized Treatment Plan

Our dedicated professional staff is here to design a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs, guiding you or your loved one on the journey to lasting recovery.

(323) 307-7997