Highlights
- Responsibility OCD is not a formally recognized subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is a term commonly used to describe a pattern of OCD that makes you feel excessively responsible for everything, including things you cannot control, so that you obsess over preventing harm and negative outcomes.
- Core symptoms of OCD include: intrusive thoughts, obsessions, and repetitive behaviors, which are aimed at providing relief.
- Although responsibility OCD is burdensome, you can find ways to cope with symptoms and enjoy your daily life.
- Speak to your healthcare provider about how you feel and how to get treatment.
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While responsibility OCD can be hard to deal with, a better understanding of the condition can help you cope well with symptoms, become more open to receiving support from friends and family, and seek out necessary professional treatment.
What Is Responsibility OCD?
In general, OCD is characterized by obsessions (repetitive, persistent, involuntary thoughts or urges) and/or compulsions (repetitive actions or mental acts in response to obsessions). However, these obsessive and compulsive behaviors can be related to different themes, such as health, relationships, memories of past events, perfectionism, or responsibility. Although being an informal subtype, responsibility OCD helps describe the pattern of obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms that make you feel
While some other types of OCD involve some fear of contamination or the need for symmetry, in responsibility OCD, you feel a lot of anxiety about what might happen to you or other people if you fail to act or think the “right” way.
The OCD Cycle in Responsibility OCD
Dr. Paul Salkovskis developed the inflated responsibility model of OCD in 1985, which suggested that a
The
- An intrusive thought enters your mind. It can be something simple, like: “Did I turn off the gas?”
- You start to feel anxious and responsible. “What if I actually left the gas on and someone gets hurt because of this?”
- You start to repeat the same thoughts over and over and engage in compulsive behaviors to deal with those thoughts. You may find yourself checking the gas three or four times just to find relief from your anxiety.
- You feel relieved when you act out your anxiety by “confirming” that nothing is wrong, but then the cycle repeats.
The more you indulge your anxiety by performing certain actions, the more trapped you may feel in the OCD cycle. This is why acting on your anxiety through compulsions does not solve the root causes of OCD.
Normal Responsibility vs Responsibility-Related OCD Symptoms
Feeling responsible for our actions and behaviors is a normal part of daily life. But when OCD is involved, the same feelings and concerns can become more persistent, overwhelming, difficult to control, and disruptive to everyday situations.
Note that people may also have a heightened sense of responsibility without having OCD, or other mental health conditions like anxiety disorders may cause similar experiences. If such symptoms start to affect your life, it’s worth consulting a healthcare professional.
Everyday Responsibility | Possible Responsibility-Related OCD Symptoms |
Locking the door and confirming a click before leaving home. | Returning to check if you have locked the door up to 10+ times, yet still being unsure. |
Feeling bad for a while if you accidentally hurt someone. | Blaming yourself for the accident for a long time and ruminating about things you could have done better; reliving the mistake over and over. |
Worrying about the mistake and then moving on. | Seeing yourself as completely incompetent and unable to do what is expected of you. |
Worrying you may have said something wrong to someone but letting it go when you notice they weren’t hurt. | Feeling someone’s own hurt for them. Believing you have said something bad even when nothing suggests you have. |
Responsibility-Related OCD Symptoms
Obsessive Symptoms
These are recurrent, unwanted thoughts related to:
- Anxiety
- Confusion
- Distressing images
- Unwanted recurring ideas
- Intense guilt over minor mistakes
- Physical discomfort
Common Real-Life Examples of Responsibility-Related Obsessions
These may include worrying about:
- Forgetting to lock the car or front door, or turning off the gas.
- Hurting someone by speaking too slowly or using certain words; stepping on someone’s foot.
- Driving in a particular lane all the time so you don’t hurt someone.
- Infecting people. If you have a common cold and sneeze on a bus, for example, you may feel bad about it for too long.
- Taking the last thing on the shelf.
- Being afraid that something bad may happen to you or other people because of your actions. For example, you may have a thought like: “I didn’t bring an extra jacket. I am the reason why that stranger over there feels so cold.”
Compulsive Symptoms
Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts often aimed at subduing your anxiety. Compulsive symptoms include:
- Avoiding
- Seeking reassurance
- Saying the same things over and over again
- Feeling relief when you check compulsively.
Common Real-Life Examples of Responsibility-Related Compulsions
Common examples of compulsions include:
- Checking the locks over and over, verifying if appliances are turned off, checking emails for mistakes repeatedly.
- Asking your partner the same question ten times, replaying certain segments of a voice note, frequently checking your partner’s location.
- Saying the same things repeatedly in a meeting or conversation just to be sure you have been heard.
- Apologizing for something you did in the past over and over again, even when you have been forgiven.
All these OCD symptoms can significantly affect your daily life. They may interfere with work and cause you to waste time or delay decisions. Repeated reassurance-seeking may strain your relationships and hinder you from pursuing opportunities with higher responsibility, such as promotions.
Why It Happens: Causes and Risk Factors of Responsibility OCD
Responsibility OCD doesn’t have a single cause. Several factors may contribute to making you feel the way you do.
An Exaggerated Sense of Responsibility
You are more likely to have OCD symptoms when you
Some factors can make you prone to taking responsibility for too many things, such as strict moral or religious beliefs, certain childhood experiences, and caregiver roles.
An Inability to Tolerate Uncertainty
While some people are fine with the fact that there are things they cannot understand or predict, you may struggle to find calm in uncertainty if you have OCD. This
Constantly Giving in to Your Anxiety
Giving in to anxiety and engaging in compulsive behavior
Genetics and Biology
Treatment Options for Responsibility OCD
Responsibility OCD can be treated using different approaches or their combination. The most common ways are explained below.
Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP)
This is a
- Figure out what anxious situations you can be exposed to.
- Find ways to cope with these situations.
- Resist performing any compulsive behavior.
These can make your symptoms easier to deal with.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT is a newer type of therapy used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder and often used in combination with ERP. It focuses on the response to your thoughts rather than the nature of these thoughts and therefore can
Medication
Self-Help: How to Cope With Responsibility OCD
Your healthcare provider may recommend self-help strategies as additional
- Recognizing Triggers: Notice in what circumstances your obsessive thoughts happen and what makes them stronger. It’s helpful to discuss the patterns in the context with your provider.
- Delay Compulsions: Instead of engaging in compulsions at once, delay them a little; ask yourself “Is the problem real or am I exaggerating?” For example, wait for 5 minutes before you go check the door. Over time, extend this delay.
- Reduce Reassurance Seeking: Unless it is absolutely necessary, try not to seek reassurance. Learn a few stress-management strategies to use in situations when nothing directly suggests that you are in danger.
- Practice Mindfulness and Grounding Techniques: Mindfulness means being present, in the moment, instead of being caught up in the past or future. To reduce anxiety, check what is happening around. What do you see? What do you smell? What can you touch?
- Don’t Think People are Incapable: Understand that people can take care of themselves. You don’t have to be there all the time. If you feel like they’re in trouble, check in once and give them space to ask for support later, if needed.
If these strategies are not helpful enough, it’s essential to see a healthcare provider for professional support. At MEDvidi, you can get treatment for OCD online, right from your home, at a time that is convenient for you.
When to Seek Professional Help
Seek professional help if:
- Your OCD symptoms are affecting your daily activities and making life hard.
- You are having problems at work and with relationships.
- You can’t enjoy activities you once enjoyed.
- You are thinking of hurting yourself.
If you’re experiencing suicidal or self-harming thoughts and require immediate assistance, contact a crisis hotline, such as 911, 988 suicide & crisis lifeline (toll-free), or Samaritans (116-123 or via chat).
Conclusion
Responsibility OCD is common. It makes you feel like you are responsible for everything that happens around you, so you feel anxious and stressed about the littlest things. You might try to deal with this anxiety by performing the same actions — compulsions — repeatedly, but it’s important to seek professional help to manage OCD symptoms effectively. Book your online appointment with a licensed medical provider at MEDvidi to get personalized OCD treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a responsibility OCD feeling?
How do you get over responsibility OCD?
What is an example of excessive responsibility?
An example of excessive responsibility is when your partner leaves home in your car, and you feel the need to call them 20 times in 5 minutes just to be sure the car hasn’t broken down.
