Subtypes of OCD

The articles in this section were written by mental health professionals and researchers who are experts in OCD and related disorders. Articles provide information to help you or your loved one understand and manage OCD or a related disorder. To learn more about obsessions and compulsions visit the What is OCD page. For more expert articles, visit the From the Experts page.

Violent or Sexual Obsessions

Am I a Monster? An Overview of Common Features, Typical Course, Shame and Treatment of Pedophilia OCD (pOCD)
by Jordan Levy, PhD
Published: Winter 2016

But I love my Kids!" — Parents Who Think About Harming Their Children
by Fred Penzel, PhD
Published: Winter 2006

Driven To Distraction: “Hit And Run OCD”
by Fred Penzel, PhD
Published: Fall 2015

Violent Obsessions: How I Treat OCD Killer Thoughts
by Fred Penzel, PhD
Published: Summer 2004

Contamination

Emotional Contamination: A Lesser Known Subtype of OCD
by Carol Hevia, PsyD
Published: Fall 2009

OCD and Contamination
by Fred Penzel, PhD
Published: June 2000

Other Subtypes

Sexual Orientation Obsessions: How Do I Know I’m Not Really Gay?
by Fred Penzel, PhD
Published: Winter 2007

Relationship OCD: Is He the Love of My Life or am I Making the Biggest Mistake of my Life?
By Guy Doron, PhD, and Danny Derby, PhD
Published: Fall 2014

When Automatic Bodily Processes Become Conscious: How to Disengage from “Sensorimotor Obsessions”
by David J. Keuler, PhD
Published: Fall 2011

Sudden and Severe Onset OCD: Practical Advice for Practitioners and Parents
Compiled by Michael Jenike, MD, and Susan Boaz
Published: Summer 2011

To Be Or Not To Be, That Is The Obsession: Existential and Philosophical OCD
by Fred Penzel, PhD
Published: Fall 2013

Understanding Unhelpful Perfectionism
by Jennifer Kemp, MPsyc
Published: Winter 2019

Perfectionism: Are You Sure it Pays Off?
by Jeff Szymanski, PhD
Published: Spring 2008

Perinatal OCD: What Research Says About Diagnosis and Treatment
by Neha Hudepohl, MD, & Margaret Howard, PhD
Published: Winter 2014

Perinatal OCD: Beyond the Blues
by Jonathan S. Abramowitz, PhD, ABPP
Published: Fall 2007

Watch Your Step: People Who Compulsively Observe Themselves
by Fred Penzel, PhD
Published: Summer 2020

How Do I Stop thinking about This? What to Do When You're Stuck Playing Ping Pong? 
by Lisa Levine PsyD
Published: Fall 2020