Reassurance Seeking

A compulsive behavior in OCD where individuals repeatedly seek confirmation from others (or from technology, such as internet searches) that feared outcomes have not occurred or will not occur. Reassurance seeking provides temporary anxiety relief but reinforces the obsession-compulsion cycle because the relief is short-lived and the person soon needs reassurance again. Examples include repeatedly asking family members if doors are locked, searching symptoms online, or requesting others to check for contamination. Some therapists recommend using technology to restrict access to reassurance-seeking channels.