The unseen battle of mental compulsions

When people are seeking ways to manage OCD, they’re usually quick to identify the physical compulsions they’ve been engaging in. They are typically very aware of how they are negatively affecting them. The impact of those behaviors may be what brings them to treatment in the first place. What is sometimes less acknowledged at first are the compulsions that can’t be seen: mental compulsions. That’s because these internal behaviors are typically unnoticeable by others—and in many cases, the person with OCD doesn’t even identify them as compulsions. Though they are not visible, mental compulsions like rumination or mental reviewing make OCD worse over time, just as all other compulsions do. Read more about how to recognize when your mental behaviors may be compulsions, and how to best manage them.