A patient once described to me how he used to feel overwhelmed when he went to his neighborhood deli. The menu was so extensive that he could never decide what to order.

His solution was to simply order the same thing every time. He admitted that he was getting tired of egg salad on rye, but he got too anxious whenever he tried to sort through the countless other options.

People naturally like to have options to choose from, but research has shown that too many choices can make it more difficult to come to a decision. As a result, people may just avoid the process altogether.

Most people like to have a sense of control. When confronted with too many options and no system for sorting through them, decision-making can become daunting.

This is especially true for people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder. These individuals experience recurring, unwanted thoughts, ideas, or sensations (obsessions) that make them feel driven to do something repetitively (compulsions).

Many of these people can’t stop contemplating the pros and cons of one decision over another — and end up making no decision at all.