O sintoma-chave é remover completamente qualquer aparência de controle de impulso do médico, levando-o a realizar atos que ele nunca iria sério contemplar (quanto mais agir sobre) se ele estivesse totalmente no controle de suas faculdades.
"You worry about too many things, Father [said the tentacles]. That is why you cannot focus. You must start at the beginning. Make one thing right, and everything else will follow. The first thing you have to do is rebuild the fusion reactor." As much as he wanted to ignore the voices, Octavius felt the need to respond. Perhaps he could argue them into going away. “Rebuild? Why? It didn't work. Peter Parker was right. I miscalculated, and now they're laughing at me.” Do not be absurd, Father. You are the great Octavius. Everyone knows it. - Spider-Man 2: A Novel