Do unwanted thoughts keep coming back, however hard you push them away?
Almost everyone has thoughts that feel shocking or out of character, and they say nothing about who you are. When they bring a lot of anxiety and you spend hours analysing or seeking reassurance, it might be OCD, which responds well to treatment. This free check helps you make sense of it.
Does any of this sound like you?
- A thought pops into your head and you spend hours working out what it means about you
- You avoid certain people, places or films in case the thought comes back
- You go over it in your head, or ask someone, until it feels settled
Intrusive thoughts and Pure O
Almost everyone has thoughts that feel shocking or out of character, and they say nothing about who you are. Common OCD themes include sexual thoughts that horrify you, doubts about your sexuality, religious or moral fears, and worry that you've done something bad. "Pure O" is the name people use when most of the rituals happen in your head.
Some people have unwanted sexual thoughts about children and are horrified by them. This is a recognised OCD theme, and people with it are no more likely to act on it than anyone else. Thoughts about harming someone have their own check. ERP helps with all of these themes.
If your thoughts are about hurting yourself, that is different, and you deserve support today. Samaritans are free on 116 123, day or night.
What you'll be asked
Which kinds of thoughts come up?
- Sexual thoughts that horrify me
- Doubts about my sexuality
- Religious or moral thoughts, or fear of sinning
- Worry that I've done something bad and forgotten
- Doubts about whether my feelings are real
How hard is each of these without doing anything to make the feeling go away?
- Letting a thought be there without going over it
- Not asking anyone whether I'm a good person
- Not checking my feelings or reactions
- Reading a news story about a crime
- Watching a film with a sexual scene
- Praying or going to a place of worship
- Looking after a baby or young child
- Not searching online about a thought
- Not confessing a thought to someone
Six quick questions about the last month
- How much does this affect your day-to-day life?
- How much do you avoid places, plans or situations because of it?
- How much does it affect your work, studies or caring for others?
- How much does it affect your social life, relationships or family?
- How much of your day do the thoughts and rituals take up?
- How much distress do you feel when you think about a thought like this coming back?
What you get at the end
Your result and what it means for everyday life, plus a starting ladder built from your own answers: the steps, easiest first, a therapist would use to help you. It's saved to a free ReOCD account, so you can come back, retake the check and see what changes.
Common questions
- Is this a diagnosis?
- No. It is a free self-check to help you understand how much this affects your life. Only a qualified professional can assess you properly.
- Do I have to say what my thoughts are about?
- No. You only choose broad kinds of thoughts. You never need to describe them here.
- Are thoughts about children part of OCD?
- They can be. Some people have unwanted sexual thoughts about children and are horrified by them. OCD-UK recognises this as a common OCD theme, and people with it are no more likely to act on it than anyone else. It responds to the same treatment as other themes.
- Why do you ask for my email?
- Your results are saved to a free account, so you can come back to them, retake the check and see what has changed. You confirm your email with a code, then choose a password.
- Who can see my answers?
- You can. ReOCD keeps them to show you your results. Nothing is shared with a therapist unless you choose to send a request, and nothing is sold or used for advertising.