Woman living with OCD shares the three main symptoms to look out for

A woman has revealed three key signs which could indicate you have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

It's a mental health issue that over one million people suffer from in the UK, and causes obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours.

Now, one woman has taken to TikTok to reveal the three main signs of OCD which could help you spot the mental health condition.

Obviously, a TikTok video can't be used in place of a proper diagnosis, but if you find yourself relating to what she says it could well be worth speaking to your GP.

The clip - posted to the @ocdrecovery TikTok account - has gained quite a lot of attention on the platform, and many people in the comments have related to the symptoms.

Here are the signs she says to look out for:

Rumination

The first sign that she describes is rumination, which is a form of obsessive negative thoughts, usually about past or present scenarios, which results in emotional distress.

In the clip she explains: “It’s more automatic, so you can’t stop it, you can’t help but keep on analysing and overthinking about big or small things.

“You find yourself feeling depressed and resistant to things.

“You try to fight and stop that rumination, but you can’t, it just happens.

“As soon as you wake up, when you try to sleep, in the middle of the day, it’s really hard.”

The woman described it as a ‘cycle’ being activated that is almost impossible to switch off.

Intrusive thoughts

These are the kind of thoughts that have no logic or reasoning behind them, and we can all get them from time to time.

But just like rumination, a person with OCD’s intrusive thoughts are very obsessive.

She said: “You can try to stop them but they come in very fast, very intense, and it’s usually things that you really hate.

“Sometimes it’s one particular thought but sometimes it’s so many others too.

“When I have them, they usually come with a stomach ache, I feel like I’ve been attacked in my stomach and I always have a headache.”

She added that thoughts get harder and harder to fight off each time.

Urgency

The third symptom she experiences is urgency.

With OCD, there is an urgency to ‘take action’ in the now, and failing to do this is the ‘end of the world’.

She said this could include an urgency to break up with your partner, an urgency to quit your job, to avoid people, to delete social media.

Of course these symptoms alone don’t mean you have OCD, and it’s important to know that the condition varies in every person.

The NHS explains that OCD often begins around puberty or early adulthood and can be extremely distressing, although help - such as therapy and medication - is out there to keep the condition under control.

It explains that those with OCD will get frequent obsessions (an unwanted and unpleasant thought, image or urge that causes distress) and compulsions (a repetitive behaviour or mental act you feel is needed to relieve the feelings caused by the obsession).

If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.