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An extreme example: Someone has OCD if they have to wash their hands constantly.

It's obcessive because it's more than the norm.
It's compulsive because they have to do it.

1. Recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress

2. The thoughts, impulses, or images are not simply excessive worries about real-life problems

3. The person attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, impulses, or images, or to neutralize them with some other thought or action

4. The person recognizes that the obsessional thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of his or her own mind (not imposed from without as in thought insertion)

Compulsions as defined by:

1. Repetitive behaviors (e.g. hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (e.g. praying, counting, repeating words silently) that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession, or according to rules that must be applied rigidly

2. The behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviors or mental acts either are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent or are clearly excessive

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At some point during the disorder, the adult has recognized that the obsessions or compulsions are excessive or unreasonable (not applicable to children).

The obsessions or compulsions cause marked distress, are time consuming (take more than 1 hour a day), or significantly interfere with the person's normal routine, occupational (or academic) functioning, or usual social activities or relationships.

If another disorder is present, the content of the obsessions or compulsions is not restricted to it. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g. a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition.

Psych Central: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptoms

Some people think they are just being perfectionists or meticulous and do not see their behavior as a problem.

I heard from someone that he was diagnosed OCD and his boss then disqualified him from work. How's that possible? Someone with OCD should still be able to work, no?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by python3k

I heard from someone that he was diagnosed OCD and his boss then disqualified him from work. How's that possible? Someone with OCD should still be able to work, no?

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It depends on the severity, what the compulsion is and the job. However that does sound a bit strange to me that his boss made that decision and not a doctor...

I hope he wasn't discriminated against and unfairly dismissed.