Disclaimer: This article contains discussions of sensitive topics, including suicide, suicidal thoughts, and self-harm. The content may be triggering or distressing for some readers. Reader discretion ...

Here's what to do instead—and why.

Purging behaviors (vomiting or misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas) can also shift from conscious decisions to automatic routines. Early motivations might include concerns about weight or relief ...

The “Uncertainty” Mechanism: Compulsive traits are linked to a specific decision-making strategy where habits are favored because the individual feels less certain about the consequences of long-term ...

Experiencing multiple childhood traumas doesn't just increase the risk of a single addiction. A new study suggests it creates ...

Cat behaviors like kneading and headbutting signify affection, comfort, or trust. Unusual actions such as food play or "scarf 'n barf" often have instinctual or practical reasons. Understanding these ...

Cats are famously mysterious creatures. One minute they’re curled up in your lap purring happily, the next they’re sprinting across the room at full speed for no apparent reason. While these feline ...

For years, compulsive behaviors have been viewed as bad habits stuck on autopilot. But new research in rats found the opposite: inflammation in a key decision-making brain region actually made ...

A specific pattern of brain activity in a frontal brain region is linked to compulsive behaviors like excessive hand washing, chronic hair-pulling, and skin-picking in people with obsessive compulsive ...

Summary: Researchers have identified a specific pattern of high-frequency brain activity in the anteromedial orbitofrontal cortex (amOFC) that is consistently linked to compulsive behaviors in people ...

A specific pattern of brain activity in a frontal brain region is linked to compulsive behaviors like excessive hand washing, chronic hair-pulling, and skin-picking in people with obsessive compulsive ...