Obsessive– Compulsive Disorder 457
(cont.)figure 11.2. Clinical illustrations of obsession–faulty appraisal relationship.Obsession Faulty Appraisal
“Did I soil the chair
with my own feces?”
— repeatedly checks,
reassures self“Someone could sit in it and be disgusted
with me.” (overestimated threat)“It would be my fault for losing control.”
(inflated responsibility)“If I don’t get rid of this thought, it will bother
me all day; I’ll be anxious and unable to
work.” (importance/control of thought)“I need to be certain the chair is clean.”
(intolerance of uncertainty)“The negative energy will overwhelm my
unconscious and I’ll lose my creativity.
My unconscious mind is trying to destroy
me.” (overestimated threat)“If I think something bad could happen, it
is more likely to actually happen.” (TAF-
pr obability)“I need to be certain that I’m not
contaminated, that I won’t lose my
creativity, or that my unconscious won’t
harm me.” (intoler ance of uncertainty)“I need better control over contamination
thoughts in order to reduce my anxiety.”
(need for control)“I need to avoid making a wrong decision
in order to prevent feeling intensely
contaminated.” (responsibility and
perfectionism)“Maybe I’ve been
contaminated by a transfer of
negative energy from this
unusual looking person”. —
avoids, repeated washing,
rhythmic breathing