Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a neurological anxiety disorder characterized by powerful, unwanted obsessions (intrusive, recurrent thoughts which a person cannot control) and compulsions (repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed to alleviate the anxiety caused by obsessions). The cause of OCD is not known; however, patients exhibit reduced levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, and increased activity in the orbital cortex and caudate nucleus. OCD can manifest from early childhood through to middle age, and effects women, men and children of every race and socioeconomic group. One in 50 people in the United States suffers from OCD, and twice that number have experienced it at some point in their lives. Although underdiagnosed and undertreated, OCD symptoms can be effectively treated.

While most thoughts and behaviors which become obsessive/compulsive are common to some extent in every-day life, they are considered a disorder when they persist, make...