Compulsive behavior is a characteristic of a mental disorder called obsessive-compulsive disorder. According to the Mayo Clinic, compulsive behaviors refer to repetitive behavior that is meant to calm any anxieties or obsessions. For example,...
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a potentially disabling mental disorder characterized by recurring unwanted thoughts and compulsive behaviors. A person with OCD realizes the obsessive thoughts are irrational, but he cannot stop them. The...
OCD (obsessive-compulsive personality disorder) refers to a disease in which people become obsessed with control and rules, says MedlinePlus. Typical OCD signs include inflexibility, perfectionism, preoccupation with lists and rules and a lack of...
Modafinil, which is marketed as Provigil, is prescribed to increase daytime wakefulness in patients with sleep disorders, including narcolepsy and obstructive sleep apnea. Provigil can inhibit enzymes, called cytochromes, that break down drugs,...
Obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a potentially disabling mental illness characterized by unwanted thoughts, or obsessions, and repetitive behaviors, or compulsions. An individual with OCD realizes these thoughts and behaviors are...
A patient with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can feel controlled by the disorder. Characterized by intrusive thoughts and behaviors, the patient is driven to repetitively perform certain behaviors. When she tries to stop them on her own, she...
Affecting 2.2 million adults in the United States, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder where the patient has invasive thoughts and compulsive behaviors, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The...
Impulse control disorders are psychological conditions characterized by the repeated inability to resist activities and behaviors that are harmful to oneself or others. Feelings of tension and anticipation precede the impulsive behavior, followed...
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a form of anxiety. The obsessions, categorized by the Mayo Clinic as "unreasonable thoughts and fears," lead the OCD sufferer to compulsively repeat behavior. Trying to repress the obsessions may make the condition...
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental illness characterized by repeated thoughts or actions that interfere with normal life. It is classified in the psychiatric literature as an anxiety disorder, according to Emedicine.com. The most...
According to the International OCD Foundation, approximately 1 in 200 children and teenagers have OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder--a condition characterized by obsessive thoughts that drive compulsive behaviors. For example, a child may...
Stanford University School of Medicine explains that symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, appeared in history dating back to the early 1600s. Initial understandings about the cause of OCD were laden with misconceptions and from these...
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression are frequently comorbid, meaning they often occur together. Antidepressants with strong serotonergic properties are typically most effective at treating both OCD and depressive symptoms. Because...
Although tricyclic antidepressants were commonly prescribed because of their effectiveness, many doctors now tend to prescribe selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) antidepressants first, according to the Mayo Clinic. However, tricyclic...
Major depressive disorder, a condition characterized by intense feelings of sadness and hopelessness, affects approximately 14.8 million adults in the United States, according to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. Depression often occurs...
Obsessive-compulsive disease, often referred to as OCD, is a type of anxiety disorder. People with OCD have recurring, unwanted obsessive thoughts; uncontrollable compulsive behaviors or, 90 percent of the time, have both obsessive thoughts and...
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), published by the American Psychiatric Association defines a number of anxiety disorders, including Acute Stress Disorder, Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety...
Although caffeine can influence the way certain medications and supplements work, there are no known drug interactions between Anafranil and caffeine. However, this does not necessarily mean you would not experience side effects when this...
Anxiety is a feeling that everyone goes through from time to time. When it appears in small doses, it can actually be beneficial. For example, experiencing anxiety right before a sporting event can help give you motivation to be at your best. But...
A variety of different medications are available to help those suffering from the symptoms of an anxiety disorder. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that approximately 40 million American adults suffer from an anxiety disorder...
Both autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) entail recurring ritualistic behavior, such as rearranging items or repeating activities over and over again. People with autism feel comforted or fulfilled by these activities. People with OCD,...
Grapefruit oil contributes its refreshing, citrus scent to perfumes, skin splashes, shower gel and shampoo, as well as to household products, such as dish-washing liquid and air freshener. Aromatherapists may add grapefruit oil to massage oil or...
Pain is the body's way of showing that tissue is damaged. Pain signals are carried through the body via nerves. Sometimes the nerves themselves can be damaged, however, leading to nerve pain (also known as neuralgia). Nerve pain can be difficult...
There are several medications available for treating depression. Medications serve to improve symptoms and in many cases attempt to replace chemicals in the brain that are not balanced, thus causing the symptoms. Antidepressants are the general...
Many people have the urge to pull at their hair periodically, but for some the habit of pulling their hair out is irresistible. These cases are classified as trichotillomania, or hair-pulling disorder. Those with trichotillomania have an...
Most forms of OCD therapy start with a basis of cognitive treatments. It usually means that you and your therapist work together to evaluate your obsessive thoughts, their possible causes and the means by which they can be challenged and...
A developmental disorder, autism causes children with the disorder to have social, behavioral and language-based symptoms. While treatment options are available for these symptoms, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that medications...
According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately 40 million adults in the United States (about 18 percent) suffer from anxiety disorders every year. There are six different types of disorders and accompanying...
The exact causes of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are not certain, but there is considerable evidence to suggest that the biochemical mixture of the brain plays a significant part. Specifically, people with OCD have a deficiency of...
