ABSTRACT
Anxiety is the heightened sense of alertness necessary for survival, a constant readiness to fight, flee, or hide; fear and worry are ordinarily more concretely focused. 'Intrusive thought' or 'automatic thought' are phrases used in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) literature to indicate an unwanted idea or image intruding into a person's awareness, much like a burp. The obsession sets off a mental process similar to a string of dominoes set up to tip each one over in turn, but it may be equally appropriate to designate an obsession as a fixation. A compulsion is a behavior that relieves the anxiety associated with the obsession. Avoidance is the attempt to escape from a situation that predictably sets off the OCD alarm system. Avoidance is the attempt to escape from a situation that predictably sets off the OCD alarm system. Relatively rare disorders such as trichotillomania, kleptomania, Tourette's syndrome, and hypochondriasis sometimes are brought to the attention of a caring person.
