HEALTH TOPICS 
Questions & answers
Q. If I have obsessions or compulsions, does that mean I have obsessive-compulsive disorder?
A. Look around and you may find many people in your neighborhood who are troubled — at least once in a while — by obsessions (persistent, intrusive, anxiety-provoking thoughts) or compulsions (irresistible urges to repeat certain behaviors). So, no, these symptoms on their own do not indicate a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
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