What are obsessions and how are they different from compulsions? Can obsessions and compulsions ever be good? What is OCD? What are the various forms of OCD?Dr. Greg Hamlin briefly explains an easy way to get a handle on these questions. The key is to have a clear understanding of what an obsession is and how compulsions appear to relieve the tension that's stirred up by obsessive thoughts. Once you understand the dance of one obsession and one compulsion, you can see how they work together to create an anxiety mechanism that can be quite strong inside the brain. This understanding allows us to see why runaway obsessions and compulsions can impair our emotional intelligence and hints at how to fight them.