OCD sufferers mostly know that a lot of their actions are illogical or that it doesn't make sense (though not all the time, and not about everything) but that doesn't help one bit, its a compulsive action. Its hard to stop, its very stressful to stop and I imagine frightening.
OCD sufferers often don't get better just by themselves, quite the opposite for most actually. Over time it will get worse, naturally there will always be times where its better and times where its worse but steadily and surely it will get worse, in most cases. Each and every time an OCD sufferer feels compelled to wash their hands, check the door, align things or what ever the particular vice is at that moment in time, they are basically reinforcing the thought that "If I don't wash my hands (or what ever it is) bad things are going happen".
Most suffers wont ever be free of OCD but with the right help the individual can learn the right techniques and skills to break the Obsess > be compelled > Obsess and get to a point where OCD does not control the person, but the person controls the OCD.
To break the obsessive compulsive cycle it usually requires professional help, as well as in most cases medication to even begin to tackle things like CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) and ET (exposure therapy). CBT and ET combined is the recommended treatment for OCD. Exposure therapy is as it sounds, exposing the sufferer to anxiety provoking situations, in increased levels. So say someone with contamination fears, they will first asked to touch something like a door handle, or shake hands with a stranger, later it will be something like a bin, floor or a toilet. The important thing is that the person does not let themselves wash their hands, to be contaminated and just deal with it.
The treatment is hard, its a long process but does really genuinely help.
Telling the sufferer to just "think" differently wont work, anything that we as non professionals or sufferers say to someone with ocd to try help them, wont work. Trying to get them to rationalize ocd and break it down, doesnt work.
I could sit there and say "that floor isnt dirty" or "dont worry about turning the light switch off in a set pattern, it doesnt do anything or make any sense, nothing bad will happen". I could say that 10101010010101 times to an OCD sufferer, but it doesnt change anything. Probably actually make it worse.
