Obsessive Facts

It is not true to think of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as the result of a "weak" or "unstable" mind. Far from it, in fact. In order to maintain the control it takes to cope with OCD, sufferers usually have to be very strong-minded people.

OCD affects 1 in 40 people, including 1 in 200 children, although most have very mild to moderate levels of the disorder. At it's most debilitating, OCD causes people to stay shut in their homes for months or years!

It seems to be that in every culture worldwide, about 2 to 3 per cent of the culture will have OCD at some time in their life.

On average, most OCDers will live with the disorder some 17 years before they get help.

The average age of diagnosis ranges from 19 to 25, and some OCD sufferers may reach their thirties and beyond before learning the reason for their repetitive thoughts and actions.