compulsive behavior
Irresistible repeated actions
Compulsive behavior is action driven by an irresistible urge rather than conscious choice.
The behavior typically serves to relieve anxiety or discomfort, even when the person recognizes it as irrational or harmful: Her compulsive behavior around cleaning had taken over her life.
Common examples include excessive handwashing, checking locks repeatedly, or ritualistic counting.
The term appears frequently in psychology, where it describes symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder and addiction.
- obsessionPersistent, intrusive preoccupation
- addictionCompulsive substance reliance
- fixationPersistent mental attachment
- trichotillomaniaCompulsive self-plucking disorder
- hair pullingYanking strands from head
can't stop · skin picking · nail biting · craving · impulse · nervous habit · hoarding disorder · rumination · reinforcement · ritual · losing control · anxiety · intrusive thoughts · vicious cycle · withdrawal · therapy · mental health · avoidance
- Anxietyanxiety, nervousness, panic, worry, generalized anxiety
- behaviorshabit, aggressive, agitation, conduct, passive
- addictionaddiction, drug addiction, substance abuse, drug dependence, substance dependency
- sexualitysexual orientation, erotica, sexual identity, bisexual, sensuality
- addiction signscravings, dependence, withdrawal, relapse, tolerance
- will disordersapathy, impulsivity, disinhibition, compulsions
compulsive behaviormental wellness
Healthy state of mind
self-regulation · emotional regulation · impulse control · emotional stability · moderation