Abstract thinking REF: Kaplan & Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry 10' EditionPage 279; "Obsessions are persistent and recurrent idea, thought, or impulse that cannot be eliminated from consciousness by logic or reasoning; obsessions are involuntary and Ego-dystonic"Page 277Ego dystonia: Denotes aspects of a person's personality that are viewed as repugnant, unacceptable, or inconsistent with the rest of the personality.Ego syntonic: Denotes aspects of a personality that are viewed as acceptable and consistent with that person's total personality. Personality traits are usually ego syntonicPage 236Abstract thinking:Abstract thinkingis the ability to deal with concepts. Patients can have disturbances in the manner in which they conceptualize or handle ideas. Can the patient explain similarities, such as those between an apple and a pear or between truth and beauty? Are the meanings of simple proverbs, such as "A rolling stone gathers no moss" understood? Answers can be concrete (giving specific examples to illustrate the meaning) or overly abstract (giving too generalized an explanation).When asked to explain the proverb "People in glass houses should not throw stones" a schizophrenic patient replied, that's easy, you can break the glass.Page 608Obsessive Compulsive Disorder DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria: Either obsessions or compulsionsObsession as defined by (1), (2), (3), and (4):(1) Recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress(2) The thoughts, impulses, or images are not simply excessive worries about real-life problems(3)The person attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, impulses, or images or neutralize them with some other thought or action(4) The person recognizes that the thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of his or her own mind (not imposed from without as in thought inseion)Compulsions as defined by (1) and (2):(1) Repetitive behaviours (eg, hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (eg, praying, counting, repeating works silently) that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession, or according to rules that must be applied rigidly(2) The behaviour or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviours or mental acts either are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent or are clearly excessive