Compulsions are the behavior that one engages in to reduce the anxiety often associated with an obsession.  These are avoidance behaviors.  Unfortunately, they become a huge barrier as they actually continue and maintain the anxiety, thereby making it worse and bound to continue over time.  These behaviors can interfere with daily life due to their time-consuming nature and disruption. Some examples include extreme handwashing, checking, counting, repeating certain phrases to oneself, and many other behaviors that involve avoiding certain stimuli that trigger the anxiety.  Although many compulsive behaviors are connected to an obsession, it is not a requirement.  In fact, there are times when a compulsion cannot be easily tied to a specific obsession.