The word “obsessive” refers to reoccurring and persistent thoughts or urges that might be unwanted or intrusive. The word “compulsive” refers to repetitive behaviors or thoughts that a person experiences in response to an obsession or to rules that the person believes need to be applied rigidly. Together, these words come together to define obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The symptoms of OCD are common in many people, but OCD does not occur until these symptoms and behaviors become intrusive in a person’s professional and personal life.