Questionnaire guide
How can you tell habits, a need for order and an OCD lead apart?
How can I tell whether I have OCD?
OCD often combines intrusive thoughts, images or doubts, and gestures or mental rituals to reduce discomfort. Liking things to be tidy is not enough. A lead becomes more relevant when these phenomena are unwanted, hard to stop, time-consuming, and they get in the way of daily life. A questionnaire does not make the diagnosis.
What is the difference with autistic routines?
An autistic routine often brings comfort and predictability. In an OCD lead, the gesture mainly serves to calm a doubt or distress, and it is experienced as imposed. You can have both. This questionnaire insists on the unwanted character, the "until it feels OK", and the lost time, not on the need for structure.
Why do some thoughts come back despite you?
Intrusive thoughts exist in many people. They become more invasive when you fight them, give them power ("if I think it, it will happen"), or a ritual relieves them for a moment. The questionnaire observes this loop, without drawing up a list of themes protected by clinical scales.
Why does this test not copy the Y-BOCS?
The Y-BOCS and the OCI-R are protected instruments, reserved for authorised use. The questions here cover the areas described in CIM-11 and the NICE and HAS recommendations: intrusive thoughts, rituals, time and interference. The result cannot be compared with any published clinical score.
What can you do if these thoughts or rituals take up too much space?
Evaluated treatments exist, including therapies that work on exposure and response prevention, sometimes combined with medical follow-up. A doctor can refer you. In the meantime, noting what you repeat, how long it takes, and what happens if you stop, gives a concrete basis for a first appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Questions you may have
Can this test diagnose OCD?
No. It only shows whether unwanted thoughts, rituals and lost time stand out in your answers. Only a professional can make or rule out a diagnosis after an interview.
Is liking order or cleanliness OCD?
No. A preference for order is common. An OCD lead is mainly discussed when doubts or unwanted thoughts push you to repeat, check or neutralize, with a real cost in time or suffering.
Can you have OCD without a visible gesture?
Yes. Some repetitions happen in the head: recounting, reassuring yourself, repeating a phrase. They can take up as much space as a gesture. This test mentions them without listing them all.
Do strange thoughts mean I am going to act on them?
For most people, an intrusive thought is not a desire or a plan. If a thought scares you a great deal or freezes you, a professional can help you place it. This questionnaire cannot assess a risk.
Who should I consult about possible OCD?
You can start with a doctor, who will refer you. Depending on the situation, a psychologist or psychiatrist trained in OCD can offer support. Ask from the first contact whether they are used to this condition.