Rita keeps organizing her room the whole day. This keeps her anxious and distracted in class. Such symptoms are typical of which disorder?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Obsessive compulsive and Related Disorders
Option (1) Agoraphobia — Incorrect. Agoraphobia is a fear of entering unfamiliar situations; many people with it are afraid of leaving their home. Rita does leave home for class; her problem is a repeated act.
Option (2) Bipolar disorder — Incorrect. Bipolar I disorder involves mania and depression, alternately present, sometimes with periods of normal mood. It is a disorder of mood, not of a repeated act.
Option (3) Obsessive compulsive and Related Disorders — Correct. People with this disorder are unable to prevent themselves from repeatedly carrying out a particular act, which affects their ability to carry out normal activities. Compulsive behaviour is the need to perform certain behaviours over and over, and many compulsions deal with counting, ordering, checking, touching and washing. Rita keeps organising (ordering) her room the whole day, and it leaves her anxious and distracted in class.
Option (4) Generalized anxiety disorders — Incorrect. It consists of prolonged, vague, unexplained and intense fears that are not attached to any particular object, with worry, hypervigilance and motor tension. Rita’s anxiety is tied to one repeated act.
NCERT (2025-26): “Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders … Have you ever noticed someone washing their hands every time they touch something, or washing even things like coins, or stepping only within the patterns on the floor or road while walking? People affected by obsessive-compulsive disorder are unable to control their preoccupation with specific ideas or are unable to prevent themselves from repeatedly carrying out a particular act or series of acts that affect their ability to carry out normal activities. Obsessive behaviour is the inability to stop thinking about a particular idea or topic. The person involved, often finds these thoughts to be unpleasant and shameful. Compulsive behaviour is the need to perform certain behaviours over and over again. Many compulsions deal with counting, ordering, checking, touching and washing.…” “Anxiety Disorders … Agoraphobia is the term used when people develop a fear of entering unfamiliar situations. Many people with agoraphobia are afraid of leaving their home. So their ability to carry out normal life activities is severely limited.…” “Bipolar and Related Disorders … Bipolar I disorder involves both mania and depression, which are alternately present and sometimes interrupted by periods of normal mood. Manic episodes rarely appear by themselves; they usually alternate with depression.…” |