Gilbert cannot leave his house without flushing the toilet three times. He is worried not flushing will cause a back-up and flood his house. Gilbert is most likely suffering from __________.

Gilbert feels compelled to repeat a specific action—flushing the toilet three times—to reduce his fear that something bad will happen. Repetitive behaviors performed to relieve distressing fears are compulsions, a key feature of obsessive-compulsive disorder. This is more specific than generalized anxiety, which involves excessive worry across many areas.

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