Need to Know OCD is a subtype of OCD that can result in both the obsessional urge and corresponding compulsions designed to fulfill the need to know something. Although this type of OCD has gained popularity online, it is in reality a very common mental compulsive behavior that many people with OCD utilize to deal with their obsessions. It’s often utilized when someone is afraid that they have done something in their past that could have hurt them or someone they love, or in response to fears that they have done something immoral, unlawful, or inappropriate. When utilizing this form of compulsive behavior, people that “need to know” are obsessively and compulsively trying to remember situations or circumstances that happened. This often leads to mentally checking old memories to try and determine whether or not they said or did something or the precise way in which a past action or event took place. They can spend many hours, days, or even years trying to remember a certain situation, experience, or action they might have performed. All of these compulsive behaviors are employed to minimize their anxiety, fear, guilt, or shame from something that may have happened or could happen in the future.
