Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder that, according to Wikipedia, is "characterized by intrusive, repetitive thoughts resulting in compulsive behaviors and mental acts that the person feels driven to perform, according to rules that must be applied rigidly, aimed at preventing some imagined dreaded event."

How Does OCD Work?

Experts believe OCD may be related to levels of a normal chemical in the brain called serotonin. When the proper flow of serotonin is blocked, the brain's "alarm system" overreacts. Danger messages are mistakenly triggered. Instead of the brain filtering out these unnecessary thoughts, the brain dwells on them – and the person repeatedly experiences unrealistic fears and doubts.

What Is OCD Like?

In severe cases, it affects a person's ability to function in every day activities. The disorder is often debilitating to the sufferer's quality of life. Also, the psychological self-awareness of the irrationality of the disorder can be painful. For people with severe OCD, it may take several hours a day to carry out the compulsive acts. The typical OCD sufferer performs tasks (or compulsions) to seek relief from obsession-related anxiety. To others, these tasks may appear odd and unnecessary. But for the sufferer, such tasks can feel critically important, and must be performed in particular ways to ward off dire consequences and to stop the stress from building up. Examples of these tasks are repeatedly checking that one's parked car has been locked before leaving it, turning lights on and off a set number of times before exiting a room, repeatedly washing hands at regular intervals throughout the day, touching objects a certain number of times before leaving a room, or walking in a certain routine way. Physical symptoms may include those brought on from anxieties and unwanted thoughts, as well as tics or Parkinson's disease-like symptoms: rigidity, tremor, jerking arm movements, or involuntary movements of the limbs.

Why a Hatelisting?

For those of us living with OCD, few things in our lives could be worse. It follows us, and our every thought and action, throughout each day. This is a way for us to show our hatred of this menace and connect with each other in order to offer support.