Of course, being a good person overall, the person is not about to kill the spouse. But the tormented person doesn't know anything about the internal struggle between good and evil. On the other hand, obsessive-compulsive disorders are very disruptive of living, and people are ashamed of these habits. Any excessive, time-consuming activity can become a serious compulsion, such as taking an hour to brush your teeth, three hours to groom yourself, three hours every day to clean a small apartment, or suffer intense anxiety if everything is not kept in order. Thus far, science doesn't understand this disorder well, but the treatment is becoming clearer.
Men are more obsessional than women.
Like so many other anxiety disorders, there seems to be a genetic factor involved. The PET scans of these patients are different. In short, you take charge, rather than the fear running your life. Thus, a powerful need to ritualize can develop in serious cases. Do this for an hour or two every day until the fear diminishes.