Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) isn’t a preference for tidy spaces or colour-coded calendars. It’s a mental-health condition where intrusive, unwanted thoughts, images, or urges (obsessions) create intense anxiety, and repetitive rituals or mental acts (compulsions) are used to briefly feel safer. Relief doesn’t last, so the loop repeats. Understanding this OCD cycle is the first step toward compassionate, effective care. What OCD is  (and isn’t) Not: being organized, lik