A question about meaning, identity, or the past feels as if it has to be answered before you can relax.
Why does thinking it through never feel finished?
You have gone over the question again and again, and it still feels open. Answer 62 questions about the past month to see which of six rumination patterns stand out, what they cost your day, and what to ask a clinician. This self-check is not a diagnosis.
- Words for mental rituals that no one else can see
- Six areas linked to real situations from your past month
- Clear questions for an OCD-informed clinician
01
The part others may not see
You replay a conversation or test how you feel, and the certainty fades within hours.
You look calm from the outside while most of your attention is busy inside your head.
You may recognize several of these, one, or none. Reflecting on life is not a diagnosis, and an unwanted question is not evidence that something is wrong with you.
02
Six rumination patterns, considered separately
Intrusive questions that demand an answer
Unwanted questions about meaning, identity, relationships, or the past that arrive uninvited and feel as if they must be answered.
Compulsive analyzing and figuring out
Trying to think a question through, argue both sides, or find the logic that would finally settle it.
Replaying conversations and events
Going back over conversations, memories, or past feelings to check what happened or what it meant.
Checking for a “right” feeling
Checking how a thought feels, testing your reactions, and waiting for a sense of certainty before you can move on.
Reassurance seeking and confessing
Searching online, asking others, comparing with other people’s stories, or confessing to feel sure about a question.
Time, mood, and daily cost
Hours lost to thinking, avoidance, and the effect on sleep, mood, work, and relationships.
03
From questions that loop to a clearer next step
Describe what happens
Answer 48 questions about how often these experiences happened in the past month and 14 about your context and needs.
See your preview
See which patterns stand out in your answers and which fit less.
Choose useful detail
Use the free help information or choose the optional paid report for a fuller explanation and questions for a clinician.
04
Information you can use beyond the result page
A six-area profile that separates questions, mental rituals, and their cost
Answer evidence alongside your main theme, settings, and context
Plain language for explaining invisible thinking and questions for an OCD-informed clinician
05
Who this self-check is for
- You are an adult answering about your own experience.
- You want to understand looping questions, analyzing, or replaying, whether you are curious, unsure, or already seeking support.
- If you are worried about a child or teenager, speak with a professional who works with young people; this self-check is for your own adult experience.
06
Original questions with transparent boundaries
48 questions cover patterns described in public guidance on OCD with mainly mental compulsions: intrusive questions, analyzing, mental review, checking for a right feeling, reassurance seeking, and the time and avoidance they cost. Fourteen context answers personalize the report without changing the scores. The questions are original, are not the Y-BOCS or the OCI-R, and do not diagnose OCD. Only a qualified clinician can assess OCD and tell it apart from depressive rumination or generalized worry.
62 questions · 6 areas · About 8–12 minutes
07
Questions before you begin
What is rumination OCD?
Rumination OCD is an informal name, not a separate diagnosis, for OCD in which the main compulsions happen in the mind: analyzing, reviewing, and trying to think a question through until it feels certain. The questions are often about existence, identity, relationships, meaning, or past conversations. Because these rituals are invisible, people sometimes call it “Pure O,” although compulsions are usually present; they are simply mental. A clinician considers it as part of an OCD assessment.
How is this different from depressive rumination or ordinary worry?
They can feel similar from the inside. Depressive rumination tends to circle around low mood, loss, or self-criticism, and generalized worry usually moves across many real-life concerns about the future. In OCD, the thinking is typically a response to an unwanted, intrusive question and aims to reach certainty, with relief that does not last. These patterns can overlap, and only a qualified clinician can tell them apart in your situation.
Can this test tell me whether I have OCD?
No. It uses 48 original questions across six areas and 14 unscored context questions. It is not the Y-BOCS, the OCI-R, or any other clinical scale. It shows which patterns stand out in your answers and how much they cost you, which can help you decide whether to seek an assessment from a qualified clinician.
Why does thinking it through not settle the question?
In OCD, analyzing, replaying, or asking for reassurance can work like a ritual: it brings brief relief, which makes the next round more likely when the doubt returns. Many of these questions also have no answer certain enough to satisfy the doubt. This describes a common pattern, not a judgment of your intelligence, and it is something an OCD-informed clinician can help you work on.
What kind of help is used for OCD?
Exposure and response prevention (ERP), a form of cognitive behavioral therapy, is the evidence-based psychological treatment for OCD, including OCD with mainly mental compulsions, and medication is sometimes used as well. ERP should be planned with a therapist trained in treating OCD. This report does not deliver treatment; it can help you prepare questions to ask a professional.
Is the test free, and do I need the paid report to get help?
The questions and initial preview are free. You can choose a paid full report to read online and download as a PDF. You never need to buy a report to contact a clinician or read the free help information.