A common belief is that compulsive behaviors trap people in a “habit loop” that takes over self-control. New research, however, suggests this explanation may be incomplete. For many years, compulsive ...

The term obsessive obsessive-compulsive disorder is not well understood and is sometimes thrown around casually. Someone who likes cleanliness and order may say, “I am so OCD about how I organize my ...

When I was 10 years old, my grandmother handed me a stack of letters that she was about to throw away and commented: "Richard, some folks collect these old stamps." I noticed the stamps looked nothing ...

The Mayo Clinic defines obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as: “Unreasonable thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead you to do repetitive behaviors (compulsions).” OCD is a form of anxiety disorder ...

New psychological research suggests that the drive for perfection may be the dangerous bridge connecting narcissism to ...

Dear Readers: I have a 12-year-old spayed female cat, who, over the last year, has started licking me incessantly. These are not short love licks, they are grooming licks that hurt, and she doesn't ...

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

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 ...

Domestic horses sometimes engage in stereotyped behaviors (a repetitive movement that appears to have no purpose or function.) In horses, these behaviors may include cribbing, pawing, head shaking, ...

*Refers to the latest 2 years of stltoday.com stories. Cancel anytime. Dear Dr. Fox • Iggy is our 2-year-old shorthair cat. He was a stray and trapped at 6 weeks old. We got him from our local humane ...