Compulsions are the rituals OCD suffers believe they need to do, in order to feel better. The compulsions are intended to reduce anxiety so that the person can move forward.
AN UNHELPFUL WAY TO RELIEVE ANXIETY.
OCD sufferers learn quickly that the compulsions do relieve anxiety when they are done ‘just right’ – but only for a short time. Doing the ritual ‘just right’ requires an unrealistic degree of perfection that only the sufferer understands. Often the compulsion needs to feel right for it to be acceptable – seeing isn’t enough. This is where the loop begins – having to do the compulsion over and over again until it is perfect. However, when perfection is achieved, the sense of satisfaction does not stay for long. The thoughts come back even stronger, the anxiety spikes, and the ritual starts again.
Compulsions make the problem worse. Compulsions keep OCD running. Compulsions are a trap.