A long-held view is that compulsive behaviors involve individuals getting stuck in a "habit loop" that overrides self-control, but new research in rats from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) ...

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a mental health disorder, "where a person gets caught in a vicious cycle of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors," explains Guerra. The thoughts and fears such ...

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by repetitive, unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and irrational, excessive urges to do certain actions (compulsions).

Mental health professionals say obsessive-compulsive disorder affects millions and can involve intrusive thoughts, anxiety, ...

A recent study in rats suggests that compulsive behaviors, such as handwashing and gambling, may be driven by inflammation in the brain rather than habit loops. Researchers found that ...

In a recent article published in Molecular Psychiatry, researchers performed longitudinal studies in rats to measure the sensitivity of early established versus compulsive polydipsic alcohol (or water ...

Eating disorders and OCD can look strikingly similar on the surface. Understanding what drives the behavior is essential for ...

Out-of-control sexual behaviors have existed throughout history, yet their official recognition only came much later. Some of the old terms you might have heard include satyriasis, nymphomania, and ...

Is compulsive behavior common in people with Alzheimer’s or dementia? When someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, many aspects of his or her life are forced to change and will ...

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have identified a brain circuit that can drive repetitive and compulsive behaviors in mice, even when natural rewards such as food or social contact are ...

Sex addiction is not a real addiction in the way drug and alcohol addictions are. Compulsive sexual behavior is a preoccupation with sexual thoughts, urges, and behaviors that disrupt daily life. To ...