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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.