obsessive-compulsive disorder n a psychoneurotic disorder in which the patient is beset with obsessions or compulsions or both and suffers extreme anxiety or depression through failure to think the obsessive thoughts or perform the compelling acts abbr. OCD called also obsessive-compulsive neurosis, obsessive-compulsive reaction
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(OCD) [DSM-IV] an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent obsessions or compulsions that are severe enough to interfere significantly with personal or social functioning. Performing compulsive rituals may release tension temporarily, and resisting them causes increased tension. This disorder is not the same as obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, which is a personality disorder.Medical dictionary. 2011.