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Responsibility OCD

Responsibility OCD is characterized by ongoing intrusive thoughts, images or urges, and compulsive physical and/or mental behaviors around a person’s sense of responsibility for other people and animals around them.

Common OCD Fears

Can You Have Social Justice or “Wokeness” OCD?

A strong fear of doing something harmful to a member of an underrepresented group—and the resulting consequences—may be a sign of a deeper problem.

What does it mean if I have racist intrusive thoughts?

These thoughts may make you worry that you’re a bad person. Here’s what really may be going on.

Spending money makes me extremely anxious. What can I do?

If spending money triggers anxiety, even if it’s for necessities that your family needs, there may be something else at play.

Ask a Therapist: Am I a bad person if I have disturbing dreams?

As a therapist who specializes in treating OCD, I’m often asked about dreams. You're not alone if they disturb you—in fact, I've struggled with these fears myself.

Constant Fear of Going to Jail? It might be OCD

As an ERP-trained therapist, I have seen this fear come up for many of the people I work with to recover from OCD.

Fear of being a bad person

Discover how OCD can cause fears of being a bad person, and how to identify symptoms and triggers. Learn more about effective treatment options.

Fear of Being Canceled

Discover the link between OCD and the fear of being "canceled." Learn how to identify and manage obsessions and triggers in cancel culture.

Fear of leaving the stove on

Fear of leaving the stove on resulting in damage or injury is highly common for people suffering from Responsibility OCD or Harm OCD.

Fear of being a bad person

OCD focused on fear of being a bad person involves recurrent, persistent, unwanted and intrusive thoughts or images about being a bad person.

Fear of concussions

Fear of concussions in OCD involves recurrent, persistent, unwanted, and intrusive thoughts related to head trauma/concussion.

Excessive apologizing – Is it OCD?

Excessive apologizing is common in OCD. Often, people with OCD feel the urge to compulsively apologize when it is not needed.

Fears about becoming homeless

People with fear of being homeless in OCD may have persistent fears about experiencing homelessness, even if their housing is very secure.

Fear of doing something wrong

Intense or persistent fears about doing something wrong may be a sign of OCD, falling under the OCD subtype of Responsibility OCD.

Fear of failing

Some people with OCD struggle with intense fear of failing. If you have a persistent fear of failing it may be a sign of OCD or Atychiphobia.

Fear of making mistakes

A persistent fear of making mistakes can be a sign of a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) called Responsibility OCD.

Fear of being late

People experiencing Responsibility OCD fear of being late are likely to feel intense worry about their actions negatively impacting others.

Fears about being a narcissist

Fear of being a narcissist in OCD is characterized by intrusive thoughts/images related to displaying the behaviors of a narcissist.

Fear of losing things

Fears and obsessions related to losing things are associated with the Responsibility subtype of OCD. This is often associated with the fear of losing things that are extremely important.

Fears about saying the wrong thing

Repetitive fear about saying the wrong thing may be a sign of OCD, in which a person obsessively worries about saying something inappropriate.

Fears about psychosis

If you have overwhelming fears of psychosis, “going crazy,” or “losing your mind,” you may be suffering from a form of Responsibility OCD.

Fear of overlooking something vital

If you have a consistent nagging feeling as though you are overlooking something vital, it may be a presentation Responsibility OCD.