OCD is a condition that doesn’t have a cure, but the symptoms have to managed throughout one’s life. The symptoms of OCD can ebb and flow over time depending on different factors. 

As a cognitive science researcher with over 30 years of experience in the field, Dr. Ileana Berman studies the connections between obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia. Today she shares some things that can trigger OCD symptoms.

  1. OCD can be a way for people to cope with traumatic childhood experiences such as being bullied at school or experiencing abuse.
  2. Perinatal OCD is a type of OCD where symptoms are triggered by being pregnant or giving birth.
  3. Major stressful life events often cause OCD symptoms to resurface, even if they have been dormant for a while. This could include moving, becoming a parent, changing jobs, experiencing a death in the family, going through a car accident, becoming sick, etc.
  4. OCD symptoms can appear or get worse as a way to cope with any type of uncertainty.
  5. Patients with OCD had a much harder time coping with their symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.