Compulsive rituals in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - A qualitative exploration of thoughts, feelings and behavioral patterns.

Background And Objectives: Rituals are common among healthy individuals and across cultures and often serve adaptive purposes. In individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), rituals become compulsive, time-consuming and distressing, and may lead to functional impairment. Previous research has examined the functions and characteristics of compulsive rituals, but there is paucity of in-depth, first-person reports about this topic.