Which scenario best illustrates a compulsion?

Which scenario best illustrates a compulsion?

• A. A client repeatedly checks the door to see if it is locked.
• B. A client frequently avoids social contact.
• C. A client experiences a sudden fear of crowds.
• D. A client reports hearing voices.

Answer: (A)

Compulsions are repetitive, ritual-like actions a person performs to reduce anxiety caused by obsessive thoughts. In obsessive-compulsive disorder, the urge to perform the behavior comes from an intrusive worry, and the act is done to relieve that distress, even if it’s pointless or time-consuming. Repeatedly checking the door to see if it is locked fits this pattern: the person feels anxious about the possibility of an unlocked door and engages in a ritualized check to lessen that anxiety. The behavior is repetitive, purposeful, and aimed at preventing a feared outcome, which is the hallmark of a compulsion. The other scenarios reflect different symptoms. Avoiding social contact is more about social avoidance or anxiety rather than a ritual performed to mitigate an obsession. A sudden fear of crowds points to a phobic or panic response, not a repetitive checking/ritual behavior. Hearing voices indicates a psychotic symptom (auditory hallucinations), not a compulsion.

Compulsions are repetitive, ritual-like actions a person performs to reduce anxiety caused by obsessive thoughts. In obsessive-compulsive disorder, the urge to perform the behavior comes from an intrusive worry, and the act is done to relieve that distress, even if it’s pointless or time-consuming. Repeatedly checking the door to see if it is locked fits this pattern: the person feels anxious about the possibility of an unlocked door and engages in a ritualized check to lessen that anxiety. The behavior is repetitive, purposeful, and aimed at preventing a feared outcome, which is the hallmark of a compulsion.

The other scenarios reflect different symptoms. Avoiding social contact is more about social avoidance or anxiety rather than a ritual performed to mitigate an obsession. A sudden fear of crowds points to a phobic or panic response, not a repetitive checking/ritual behavior. Hearing voices indicates a psychotic symptom (auditory hallucinations), not a compulsion.