Rumination is a common experience. If you have OCD, rumination can be a problem that makes your symptoms worse. Learn about this problem and what you can do about it.

OCD and Mental Compulsions
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a distressing condition in which people experience obsessions or compulsions, and often both. Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive mental experiences (such as thoughts, images, or urges) that lead to anxiety and other painful emotions. Compulsions are behaviors that people use repeatedly to try to eliminate or lessen the anxiety and other painful emotions caused by obsessions. The “vicious cycle” of OCD is that compulsions can be effective in reducing anxiety – but only in the short term. Unfortunately, they feed the unhelpful cycle of OCD and actually make anxiety worse over time.
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