Obsessive compulsive disorder - OCD treatment and therapy from NOCD

How to get diagnosed with OCD

By Yusra Shah

Jan 10, 2025 • 10 minute read

Reviewed byApril Kilduff, MA, LCPC

To get diagnosed with OCD, start by reaching out to a healthcare provider, such as a GP, therapist, or psychiatrist. An OCD specialist can accurately assess your symptoms and create a treatment plan that fits you. 

Living with intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors can be exhausting and confusing. You might feel stuck in patterns that don’t make sense to you, unsure if what you’re experiencing is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or something else. 

OCD affects about 1 in 40 adults and 1 in 100 children, yet it can often go undiagnosed for years. If you’ve dealt with these symptoms for a long time, or you’re starting to wonder if OCD could explain what you’re feeling, getting a formal diagnosis can provide clarity, validation, and a plan to help you move forward.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how to get an OCD diagnosis, what the process looks like, and what you can expect along the way. Whether you’re feeling nervous, curious, or ready to take action, this guide is here to help you take the first step toward understanding your symptoms and finding support.

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What is OCD?

OCD is more than just worrying or overthinking; it’s a cycle that can cause intense distress and disrupt daily life.

OCD involves repetitive, intrusive thoughts, feelings, urges, or sensations (known as obsessions) that cause significant anxiety. Everyone has intrusive thoughts from time to time. What makes OCD different is the way these obsessions take over and lead to compulsive behaviors. 

To cope, people with OCD often perform compulsions—repetitive actions or mental rituals meant to bring temporary relief. However, compulsions don’t solve the root of the problem and instead keep the OCD cycle going, making the distress persist.

Who do I go to for an OCD diagnosis?

Feeling like you might have OCD—or any mental health condition—can be overwhelming. You know you need help, but figuring out where to start isn’t always easy. If you’re looking for a diagnosis, reaching out to a healthcare provider is a great first step.

You can start with a general practitioner (GP), who can provide an initial diagnosis or refer you to a mental health professional, such as a therapist or psychiatrist. Alternatively, you can go directly to a therapist or psychiatrist for an evaluation.

While any of these providers can help, it’s important to see an OCD specialist when possible. Specialists are trained to recognize OCD, even in cases where it’s misdiagnosed, and can create a treatment plan tailored to your needs.

What does the OCD diagnosis process look like?

First, a healthcare provider will ask about your mental health history and the symptoms you’re experiencing. This might feel intimidating at first, but the process is designed to help you feel understood and supported. Clinicians often use tools like the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) or YBOCS to get a clear picture of your symptoms and how they’re impacting your life. They also rely on the criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the standard mental health diagnostic tool used by clinicians in the U.S.

It’s important to know that there isn’t a single “test” for OCD—diagnosing it isn’t as simple as a number on a scale or a yes-or-no answer. Instead, your therapist will focus on understanding your unique experiences with obsessions and compulsions. Through conversations about how these thoughts and behaviors affect your life, they’ll determine whether your symptoms meet the criteria for OCD.

The DSM-5 criteria for OCD includes:

  • Experiencing obsessions, compulsions, or both.
  • Having obsessions or compulsions that take up a lot of time (more than an hour per day).
  • Experiencing significant distress or difficulty functioning in areas like work, school, social activities, or daily responsibilities.
  • Symptoms that aren’t caused by substances or another medical or mental health condition.

Part of the process may include answering screening questions that help your healthcare provider better understand your experiences. These questions are often straightforward and require simple yes or no answers to statements like:

  • I have frequent thoughts, urges, or images that I don’t want to have (for example, thoughts about being contaminated even though I may not be, or fears of hurting someone even though I don’t want to).
  • I do repetitive behaviors (for example, washing my hands, checking things, or arranging items) or mental rituals (like counting or saying specific words) to feel better or prevent something bad from happening.
  • I feel excessively anxious or worried about many things, a lot of the time (like finances, responsibilities at work or school, or health concerns).

As Dr. Patrick McGrath, Chief Clinical Officer at NOCD, explains, “Based on the answers of the screener, the therapist will run through a diagnostic evaluation with you for the statements you answered yes to.”

This evaluation isn’t about judging or labeling you—it’s about helping you make sense of what you’re going through and giving you the tools to move forward. Knowing that what you’re experiencing has a name and can be treated is often the first step toward relief and healing.

Getting diagnosed with OCD: the challenges

Getting an OCD diagnosis isn’t always simple, and several challenges can delay your path to proper treatment. Two of the common barriers people face include misdiagnosis and stigma surrounding intrusive thoughts.

Challenge 1: Misdiagnosis and overlapping symptoms

OCD often co-occurs with conditions like generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), depression, ADHD, eating disorders, or specific phobias. Because many of these share similar symptoms, even trained professionals can misdiagnose OCD. For example:

  • OCD-related worry might be mistaken for GAD.
  • Intrusive thoughts about food or weight may look like an eating disorder.
  • Trouble focusing, often due to obsessive thoughts, could be misattributed to ADHD.

Without the right diagnosis, OCD can worsen, even if other conditions are being treated. As Dr. McGrath explains, “When OCD is misdiagnosed, the symptoms are still there, and they continue to grow. The treatment needs to address the root cause to stop the cycle.”

Challenge 2: Embarrassment about intrusive thoughts

Another challenge is that many people with OCD feel ashamed or afraid to share their intrusive thoughts. These thoughts can include taboo topics like harming others, unwanted sexual thoughts, or contamination fears. This fear of judgment can keep people silent, delaying diagnosis and access to effective treatment.

When you finally see that there is a place to go, where there are experts in OCD, and are trained and understand it, you may start to feel more comfortable talking about it

Dr. Patrick McGrath

“Some people are afraid of being judged or evaluated by someone in a negative way,” says Dr. McGrath.  However, OCD specialists understand that these thoughts are symptoms, not a reflection of who you are. They’ve heard it all before and provide a safe, non-judgmental space to help you. “When you finally see that there is a place to go, where there are experts in OCD, and are trained and understand it, you may start to feel more comfortable talking about it,” Dr. McGrath elaborates.

Recognizing these challenges and seeking help from an OCD specialist is a critical step toward proper diagnosis and treatment. OCD is highly treatable when addressed by someone who truly understands it.

Are there different types of OCD you can be diagnosed with?

OCD can be categorized into themes based on the focus or their obsessions and compulsions. While OCD is one umbrella diagnosis, some therapists and patients will refer to certain OCD subtypes. 

For one person, the fear of being exposed to germs might not be a big deal. For someone else, it could be completely debilitating. Another person might experience severe fears and doubts about whether their partner loves them, a symptom of relationship OCD. “OCD finds things that are meaningful to you in order to find the right buttons to push that trigger and scare you,” says April Kilduff, MA, LPC, LCPC, LPCC, LMHC. 

OCD finds things that are meaningful to you in order to find the right buttons to push that trigger and scare you.

April Kilduff, MA, LPC

There are many themes of OCD—so this is not an exhaustive list. But here are some common subtypes:

Keep in mind that the obsessive thoughts associated with any OCD subtype are followed by compulsions—repetitive behaviors or mental acts that people with OCD feel compelled to perform in response to their obsessions. So during an evaluation for OCD, a specialist would be on the lookout for any number of compulsions, which may include the following:

  • Checking (e.g., repeatedly making sure the stove is off, or that the door is locked)
  • Tapping/touching (e.g., tapping your knee a certain number of times in order to feel “okay” or “just right”)
  • Reassurance-seeking (e.g., asking a loved one, “Did you see me push anyone when we were walking down that busy street?” or “Do you really love me?)
  • Avoidance (e.g., refusing to go to places, be in situations, or take in stimuli that may trigger your intrusive thoughts) 
  • Excessive washing/cleaning (e.g., hand washing, showering, or disinfecting surfaces multiple times a day)
  • Rumination (e.g., turning something over and over in your mind, even for hours a day)
  • Mental reassurance (e.g., giving yourself reassurance, such as “I would never do anything awful like that because I’m not a bad person”)
  • Thought-replacing (e.g., replacing a “bad” thought with a “good” one in your mind)

What to do after you are diagnosed with OCD

After receiving an OCD diagnosis, the next step is getting the proper treatment. While there isn’t a “cure” for OCD, there are methods to manage symptoms and decrease the intensity of the condition. The most effective treatment for OCD is exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, a specialized form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) designed to disrupt the OCD cycle. 

ERP works by helping you gradually and safely confront your obsessions while resisting the urge to perform compulsions. This process, guided by a trained therapist, teaches your brain to recognize that discomfort from obsessions lessens on its own without needing compulsions. While it might sound intimidating at first, ERP starts small, and your therapist will guide and support you through every step of the process.

Community discussions

“OCD wants you to believe that compulsions will make you feel better or keep obsessions from happening,” explains Dr. Patrick McGrath, Chief Clinical Officer at NOCD. “But it doesn’t work. Obsessions always come back. In reality, compulsions teach you to run from obsessions, which only gives them more power.”

It’s essential to seek treatment from a therapist trained in ERP. Other therapeutic approaches, such as traditional CBT, can be ineffective, or unintentionally worsen OCD symptoms. “You want somebody who is going to assess the right condition, give you the right treatment for it, and assure you get the help you need,” says Dr. McGrath.

OCD wants you to believe that compulsions will make you feel better or keep obsessions from happening, but it doesn’t work.

Dr. Patrick McGrath

Some people may also find OCD medication helpful as part of their treatment plan, while others rely solely on ERP. Whether or not you choose to use medication depends on your own unique circumstances and the advice of your healthcare provider. 

Bottom line

For many people, receiving an OCD diagnosis marks the start of a journey toward clarity, relief, and healing. Working with a specialist who truly understands OCD and can guide you through ERP is essential. 

It’s also important to remind yourself that you’re not alone. Supportive communities can provide connection, validation, and empowerment by allowing you to share experiences with others who understand what you’re going through.

With the right help, you can break free from the grip of OCD, rebuild your confidence, and create a life that aligns with your goals and values. 

Key takeaways

  • Start with an OCD specialist. Getting an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment begins with seeing a provider who understands OCD.
  • Exposure and response prevention (ERP), a specialized form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), is the most effective way to treat OCD and break the cycle of obsessions and compulsions.
  • You’re not alone. Support groups and communities can help you feel connected and understood as you navigate recovery.

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