Angela experiences a lot of anxiety associated with housekeeping. The house is never clean enough for her perfectionistic standards. If she sees anything that she considers to be out of place, she has to put it away immediately. Recently, she has been spending approximately 10 hours each day cleaning, organizing, and checking things around the house. In fact, her cleaning has prevented her from having a full-time job, and it has really damaged her relationship with her husband and children. She doesn't spend time with them and she is often scolding them for being messy." All of this cleaning seems to be tied to the intrusive thoughts that Angela experiences. She is always worried about germs and contamination, and when she sees a dirty dish, she can't help but imagine that her whole family will die of food poisoning.
Would Angela's disorder mean that she would be found not criminally responsible if she was convicted of a crime?
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Yes, because her disorder is a diagnosable mental disorder.◦
Yes, because her disorder causes her to act like an automaton.◦
No, because she is capable of understanding criminal proceedings.◦
No, because she is not delusional and knows right from wrong.
Martha Rosler, Gladiators, from the series House Beautiful: Bringing the War Home. 2004
Frank Lloyd Wright, Robie House, South Woodlawn, Chicago, Illinois.
Complementary and Alternative Treatments for Anxiety and Insomnia
Plan and Reconstruction Drawing of the house of the Silver Wedding
The Rise and Fall of Separation Anxiety
Children's behaviour rating scores on measures of aggression and anxiety