Responsibility OCD is very common, as most individuals suffering from OCD will have a greater sense of responsibility for other people and events than those not suffering from OCD. Individuals suffering from this subtype of OCD are overly concerned with their responsibility and how it could, did, or will impact others. This can lead to continuously evaluating their impact on others’ wellbeing, safety, or health through their actions. It is not uncommon for individuals suffering from Responsibility OCD to fear that if they do something, it will cause harm to another. These individuals can feel tortured by intrusive thoughts that their actions have hurt or could kill someone they know or don’t know. This leaves them mentally checking (mental compulsion) to make sure they didn’t do something that makes them responsible for someone else being hurt or killed. Some individuals will even feel the need to retrace their steps to undo something they might have done that could hurt someone else. Responsibility OCD can show up within other obsessional triggers or themes such as Contamination OCD, Pedophilia OCD, and even Hit and Run OCD. As you see, it is not uncommon for sufferers of OCD across many subtypes to fear that their actions have or will hurt others. Therefore, an excessive sense of responsibility is something that most people suffering from OCD experience and can lead to a variety of compulsive behaviors in an attempt to alleviate these feelings of guilt and responsibility.
