Common Fears & OCD Subtypes
OCD subtypes can help people to find community with others who share similar experiences, and they can assist therapists in designing targeted treatment plans, but they don't tell the whole story. If you can't find your subtype, that doesn't mean you don't have OCD—everyone's experience is unique, and many people's OCD symptoms don't fit neatly into any specific theme.
Perfectionistic OCD
Perfectionism, also known as Just Right OCD, is one of the most common ways obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is portrayed in movies and on television. A character with OCD is typically oversimplified and shown as constantly arranging items until they’re perfectly aligned, and may be called a “neat freak.” Outside of the media, we’ve also colloquially developed stereotypical phrasing for someone who is extraordinarily clean and organized, dubbing them “so OCD."
In truth, your excessive organizing can be a sign of OCD, but there’s a lot more to OCD than most people understand.
By Erica Digap Burson
Reviewed by April Kilduff, MA, LCPC
A person who struggles with “Just Right” (Perfectionism) OCD or Scrupulosity OCD may experience a persistent fear of spending money.
By Melanie Dideriksen, LPC, CAADC
Reviewed by Patrick McGrath, PhD
Just because the thought pops into your head does not mean it's real. Here’s what you should know about intrusive thoughts that others perceive you as dumb.
By Jessica Migala
Reviewed by Dr. Mia Nunez
Fear of social rejection in OCD involves persistent, recurring fear of being unwanted, abandoned, ostracized, or judged negatively by others.
A fear of sunburn associated with OCD involves recurrent, persistent, unwanted, and intrusive thoughts, images, or urges related to sunburns.
Some people with OCD struggle with intense fear of failing. If you have a persistent fear of failing it may be a sign of OCD or Atychiphobia.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) with a focus on symmetry involves anxiety and discomfort when things are not symmetrical or balanced.
Fears and obsessions related to walking, associated with Just Right/Perfectionism OCD, involve fears of not walking perfectly or correctly.
Reviewed by Patrick McGrath, PhD
If you’re experiencing recurring fears about rain such as acid rain, germs in rain, floods, or other dangers, it may be OCD.
If you’re concerned about repeatedly counting in your head, it may be a sign that you have OCD related to counting.
Reviewed by Taylor Newendorp