Obsession

Recurrent, persistent, unwanted thoughts, urges, or mental images that cause significant anxiety or distress. In OCD, obsessions are experienced as intrusive and involuntary, and the person recognizes them as products of their own mind rather than external influences. Common obsession themes include contamination fears, harm to self or others, responsibility for preventing bad outcomes, need for symmetry or exactness, and sexual or religious thoughts. Obsessions differ from ordinary worries in their intensity, persistence, and the degree to which they interfere with functioning.