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People who have OCD did not do anything to cause it. And it isn’t caused by the way parents raise their children. OCD is a neurobiological disorder — not a condition that is caused by action or inaction.

Here are some common misperceptions about the causes of OCD:

You’re not alone if you have OCD. This disorder affects millions of people, and they come from every age group, race, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background. College can be stressful, and it’s not unusual to first experience OCD symptoms there.

Everybody worries at times. It’s normal to worry about things like school, how you look, what you said or did in a certain situation, how your parents will react to something you did, or what the future will bring. But OCD takes worries and doubts to the extreme.

So You Have OCD. Now What?

Having obsessive-compulsive disorder isn’t the end of the world. Of course you’d rather not have it, but just like asthma, diabetes, and other medical conditions, there is a treatment. You will be able to live with OCD and manage its symptoms.

Interacting with and caring for a family member with OCD can be very stressful. To effectively help that person, you need to do whatever is necessary to take care of your own physical and emotional well-being. Here are some tips about what you can—and cannot—do.

Attending school presents students with opportunities to develop academic skills along with social skills that will follow a student throughout life. For a student who has OCD, symptoms can present barriers to social development.

Strategies for Managing the Student and the Situation

When a student has OCD, the patterns of problems of the disorder may become more obvious and predictable.

Students who have OCD may benefit from social support strategies at school.

Teachers, principals, school nurses, social workers, psychologists, counselors, and paraprofessionals can play a pivotal role in helping a student.

It may be hard to recognize that OCD is causing learning difficulties, interpersonal problems, or great distress and anxiety.

OCD is like an unwelcome guest with bad manners. It moves into a mind — and it doesn’t want to leave.