Angela experiences a lot of anxiety associated with housekeeping. The house is never clean enough for her perfectionistic standards. If she sees anything that she considers to be out of place, she has to put it away immediately. Recently, she has been spending approximately 10 hours each day cleaning, organizing, and checking things around the house. In fact, her cleaning has prevented her from having a full-time job, and it has really damaged her relationship with her husband and children. She doesn't spend time with them and she is often scolding them for being messy." All of this cleaning seems to be tied to the intrusive thoughts that Angela experiences. She is always worried about germs and contamination, and when she sees a dirty dish, she can't help but imagine that her whole family will die of food poisoning.
-Which term best describes Angela's intrusive thoughts

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Angela's thoughts are described as intrusive, meaning that they come unbidden to her mind and cause her distress. This is a hallmark feature of obsessive thoughts, which are a common symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Delusions involve fixed and false beliefs, while phobias are intense and irrational fears of specific things or situations. Hallucinations involve perceiving things that are not actually there.

Angela Experiences a Lot of Anxiety Associated with Housekeeping