obsessive states

Obsessive syndrome (compulsiveness syndrome) is a condition with a predominance in the clinical picture of feelings, thoughts, fears, memories that arise in addition to the desire of the sick, but with the consciousness of their pain and a critical attitude towards them. Despite understanding the meaninglessness of obsessions, patients are powerless in their attempts to overcome them.

Obsessions are divided into:

• figurative, or sensual, accompanied by the development of affect (not often painful)
• obsessions of affective-neutral content.

Sensual obsessions include:

• obsessive doubts (an intrusive, contrary to logic and reason, uncertainty about the correctness of the performed and committed actions, for example, locked the door or did not lock it);
• memories (persistent, irresistible, painful memories more often than unpleasant events);
• representations (a vivid “vision” of implausible, sometimes absurd situations, for example, the idea that someone was killed);
• attraction (an attraction to commit one or another tough or extremely dangerous action, accompanied by a feeling of horror, fear, for example, to touch bare electrical wires);
• actions (movements made against the will of the sick person, for example, obsessive tapping with the hand);
• fears (obsessive and senseless fear of heights, open or closed spaces, insects, fear of pollution, infection);
• obsessive feeling of antipathy (obsessive blasphemous, blasphemous thoughts to a loved one).

Obsessive fears are not often accompanied by the development of rituals – actions that have the meaning of spells that are performed, despite a critical attitude towards obsession, in order to protect against this or that imaginary misfortune: for example, the patient must click his fingers twice in order for him to have everything. successfully. In some cases, the initial fears become irrelevant, and the sick person retains only protective rituals, which are transformed into obsessive actions.

Obsessions of affective-neutral content:

• obsessive wisdom;
• obsessive account;
• obsessive memory of terms;
• neutral events.