In psychopathology, the difficulties in distinguishing between delusion and obsessive thought require some reflection. There is a significant degree of uncertainty and complexity surrounding these categories, the symptoms of which seem to overlap each other. Two cases are presented in which both diagnoses are plausible using criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale were applied, but did not help clarify the differences. In search for the best diagnosis, a dialogue with the studies of Carol Sonenreich is herein proposed in a counterpoint to code classifications, guides and the state-of-the-art literature.
Obsessive behavior; delirium; psychopathology; diagnosis, differential