Rituals Based On Fear Or Pleasure

We can distinguish obsessive compulsions based on fear (such as hand washing enacted to prevent contamination) from those based on pleasure (such as compulsive shopping, vomiting syndrome or pathological gambling).  

Many such rituals are done in a specific sequence and others can be done to feel a certain way or to achieve a specific sensation. The logic underlying these rituals is important, because if the clinician doesn’t recognise the logic supporting the compulsion, they won’t be in a position to know what kind of intervention will be necessary to treat the problems effectively.