Whenever Ivan eats at a restaurant, he is plagued by thoughts of the number of people who may have touched his silverware. When no one is looking, he slips the silverware into his pocket, enters the men's room, and scalds the silverware in hot water for five minutes. Ivan might be diagnosed as having

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Ivan's behavior is consistent with the compulsions commonly associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder. His irrational fear of germs and need to perform a specific ritual (scalding the silverware) to alleviate his anxiety are classic symptoms of OCD.

Whenever Ivan Eats at a Restaurant, He Is Plagued by Thoughts