Obsessive thinking means that you repeatedly suffer from unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) that cause anxiety or stress. These can be worries about contamination, making mistakes or disaster scenarios.

Compulsive behavior means that you perform certain rituals or actions (compulsions) to reduce the anxiety caused by the obsessions. This can be, for example, repeatedly washing hands, checking things or counting. Although these actions provide temporary relief, they maintain the compulsion and can strongly affect daily life.