The Obsessive Compulsive- Cycle
People with OCD act on compulsions to relieve feeling unease or anxious caused by the obsessions.
The triggering thought/image/Urge (Obsessions) results in intense feelings of Anxiety, which leads the Individual to act compulsively (Rituals) in an effort to relieve that distress.
This only provides temporary relief and actually reinforces the compulsive behaviour, for the simple reason that we are naturally more likely to repeat any behaviour that results in a reduction of anxiety thus leading you to do more compulsions the next time the anxiety appears.