I have OCD, is my 'ritual' considered prayer?

Please bear with me while I explain the background before I get to my questions. I suffer from [OCD](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive–compulsive_disorder) (I also have a severe anxiety disorder, which may be relevant here). About my OCD: I am compelled to do certain things a certain number of times. Chief among them is I must knock upon wood after which I repeat a certain and very specific phrase which summarizes to something about keeping my family safe from harm (because of my anxiety disorder, my family's well-being is something I'm always *irrationally* worried about). I grew up and was schooled Catholic. However, I have since drifted from my original faith and now consider myself an atheist. I don't believe in a higher power. However, I also do not know why I have to do the things I do a certain number of times and am struggling to learn why. This "ritual" I perform seems very similar to that which my late grandmother performed with her rosary and her daily prayers. My questions are thus: Are my compelled OCD actions considered prayer? Have I (unconsciously) substituted the wood I must knock on for a rosary of sorts. On the opposite side of the coin: can my grandmother's behavior have been considered a form of OCD that she just wasn't aware of?