These compulsions are "motivated by a genuine and deep-rooted fear that the person or their loved ones will be in grave danger if they don't check. It's an emotion that everyone can relate to, the idea of the house burning down is probably enough to get anyone out of bed just to check 'one more time.'" Yet, "checking and rituals can quickly come to dominate a person's life. Hours every day are taken up with compulsions which have a major impact on work and relationships."

BBC News noted that "distinguishing between reactions that are generally considered healthy and those that are signs of a full-blown mental disorder has always been a challenge for psychiatry."

Related Links:

- "How mad are you?," Rob Liddell, BBC News, November 18, 2008.