Overcoming Compulsive Checking and Doubting Behaviour

June 25 2025 TalktoAngel 0 comments 2802 Views

Do you often feel the need to double-check if the door is locked, the gas stove is off, or a message was sent correctly? While occasional checking is normal, compulsive checking and doubting behaviour can become distressing and interfere with daily functioning. This pattern is often linked to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) but may also appear in response to anxiety, perfectionism, or unresolved trauma.

In this blog, we’ll explore the nature of compulsive checking, why it persists, and how you can overcome it with self-help strategies and therapeutic support.

What is Compulsive Checking?

Compulsive checking is a repetitive behaviour performed in response to obsessive fears or doubts. It may include checking locks, appliances, emails, health symptoms, or relationships, often for reassurance. For example, a person might check the gas knob ten times or reread a text repeatedly to ensure they didn’t say something offensive.

At the heart of checking compulsions lies doubt, fear of harm, and the desire for certainty. These behaviours temporarily relieve anxiety, but in the long run, they reinforce the obsessive fear, creating a vicious cycle (Abramowitz & Jacoby, 2014).

Common Signs of Compulsive Checking

Repeatedly checking locks, doors, lights, or appliances
Constantly rereading or rewriting texts and emails
Excessively researching or Googling symptoms or information
Reassurance-seeking (asking others the same question multiple times)
Doubting memory (Did I do it? What if I missed something?)
Fear of causing harm due to negligence or mistake

These behaviours may seem logical at first, but they become irrationally frequent and time-consuming, often accompanied by distress, guilt, or embarrassment.

Why Do We Check?

Compulsive checking is fueled by:

Intolerance of uncertainty – Difficulty accepting not knowing for sure.
Overestimated responsibility – Belief that one’s negligence could lead to catastrophe.
Distorted thinking – Such as "If I don’t check, something terrible will happen."
Memory distrust – A lack of confidence in one’s memory or actions (Radomsky et al., 2006).

These cognitive distortions make checking feel necessary, even when logically we know it’s excessive.

The Dopamine Trap: Why It Feels Urgent

Checking can momentarily relieve anxiety, and the brain rewards this relief with a dopamine hit, reinforcing the cycle. Over time, the urge to check becomes a conditioned response to anxiety and doubt, much like a habit loop. This cycle becomes harder to break without intentional intervention.

How to Overcome Compulsive Checking and Doubting

1. Awareness is the First Step

Start by noticing the patterns:

When do you check?
What triggers the urge?
How does checking make you feel in the moment, and afterwards?

Keep a journal or track sheet to record your compulsions. Awareness brings clarity and helps you spot automatic behaviours.

2. Challenge Unhelpful Thoughts

Ask yourself:

What am I afraid will happen if I don’t check?
Is there any solid proof that this worry is likely to come true?
Have I ever faced serious consequences from not checking?

Using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques can help reframe catastrophic thinking and reduce perceived risk (Salkovskis et al., 2003).

Example:

“If I don’t check the door, someone might break in.”

Reframe: “I locked the door once. That is usually enough, and repeatedly checking won’t increase security — it only increases my anxiety.”

3. Use the Delayed Checking Technique

Instead of checking immediately, delay the action by 5 to 10 minutes. During this time, engage in another activity or practice deep breathing.

Often, the urge to check passes. This method helps weaken the habit loop and strengthens your tolerance for uncertainty.

4. Practice Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

ERP is the gold-standard treatment for OCD and compulsions. It involves exposing yourself to the fear (e.g., leaving the house after locking the door once) and resisting the urge to check.

Start with small steps and gradually face more challenging triggers with the help of a trained therapist.

For example:

Step 1: Lock the door and leave without checking.
Step 2: Walk 50 meters away.
Step 3: Go to the store without returning.

Each step builds confidence and tolerance for doubt, breaking the anxiety cycle.

5. Strengthen Memory and Trust

If you often doubt your actions, try mental labelling during the task:

“I am locking the door now.”
“I’ve switched off the stove.”

This mindful statement strengthens episodic memory, helping you recall the action with more certainty later.

6. Seek Professional Help

If checking interferes with job, relationships, or daily living, it may be time to see a therapist. An online mental health platform offers access to trained professionals specialising in anxiety and OCD.

Therapies such as CBT, ERP, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) are highly effective in managing compulsive behaviours.

Living with Uncertainty

A core skill in overcoming compulsive checking is accepting uncertainty. Life is inherently unpredictable, and no amount of checking can guarantee safety or perfection. Practising mindfulness, radical acceptance, and self-compassion helps build the emotional resilience to live with that uncertainty.

Ask yourself:

What would it mean if I trusted myself?
Can I allow the discomfort of not being 100% sure, and still move on?

When Loved Ones Are Involved

If you’re constantly seeking reassurance from family or partners, they may unknowingly reinforce the checking loop. It’s helpful to:

Educate them about compulsive behaviour
Set boundaries around reassurance
Involve them in exposure practices if possible
Therapists can guide families in supporting without enabling compulsions.

Conclusion

Compulsive checking and doubting can be exhausting and isolating, but recovery is possible. It requires patience, support, and consistent practice of new behaviours. With the right tools and professional guidance, you can break the cycle and rebuild trust in yourself and your mind.

You are not alone. Whether through platforms like TalktoAngel or local mental health professionals, help is available, and healing is within reach.

Contributed By: Dr. (Prof.) R. K. Suri, Clinical Psychologist and Life Coach, &. Ms. Sangeeta Pal, Counselling Psychologist.

References

Abramowitz, J. S., & Jacoby, R. J. (2014). Obsessive-compulsive disorder in adults. In D. McKay & E. Storch (Eds.), Handbook of Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders (pp. 397–407). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6450-1_25
Radomsky, A. S., Gilchrist, P. T., & Dussault, D. (2006). Responsibility, memory, and checking behaviour. Clinical Psychology Review, 26(2), 183–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2005.10.005
Salkovskis, P. M., Richards, H. C., & Forrester, E. (2003). The relationship between obsessional problems and intrusive thoughts. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 31(3), 273–293. https://doi.org/10.1017/S135246580300304X