Compulsive behavior can be a standalone addiction or occur with another mental health disorder. Common compulsions include shopping, gambling, and eating. OCD patients often have rituals, and compulsive behaviors can be detrimental to physical health, finances, and personal relationships.
Compulsive behavior is defined as an uncontrollable urge or intrusive thoughts that compel a person to perform an action repeatedly. These behaviors can occur alone or in combination with another mental health disorder. Some of the most common compulsive behaviors are shopping, gambling and eating. When compulsive behavior occurs due to another mental health disorder, it can be something as simple as repeatedly washing your hands or involuntarily counting.
Many people can develop one or more compulsive behaviors without any other identifiable mental health problems. These are more commonly referred to as addictions and a person may regularly perform actions seemingly beyond their control. In many cases, compulsive behavior can be detrimental to a person’s physical health, finances, or personal relationships. It can also occur as a result of a larger mental health issue, most commonly obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). For patients with this disorder, these actions often take the form of a ritual and patients tend to lose the ability to function without engaging in the required actions.
One of the most common singular behaviors that is not related to a larger mental health disorder is a shopping addiction, often called a compulsive buying addiction. People with this problem repeatedly buy unnecessary items for themselves or others, feeling compelled to do so. A person with a shopping problem will make small or large purchases whether or not she has the financial means to do so. Many compulsive shoppers report feeling stoned when they make a purchase, only to feel depressed shortly thereafter, prompting them to shop again.
Gambling is a known compulsive behavior and is often viewed and treated as an addiction. Despite the negative effects on a person’s finances or personal relationships, they will gamble excessively no matter how many times they lose. A compulsive gambler will repeatedly make low- or high-risk bets and is seemingly unable to stop his gambling even when he begins to lose.
Many people suffer from a compulsion to eat. When eating is a compulsive behavior, a person will continue to consume food despite being full and will often use food to address problems in their personal or professional life. As with other compulsive behaviors, a person who can’t stop eating often does so without thinking about it, and if he contemplates the actions, he doesn’t have the willpower to stop.
When the compulsive behaviors are associated with a broader mental health disorder, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, the compulsions may be less apparent to outsiders. Common repetitive behaviors for those with this disorder often include repeated hand washing, performing routine tasks in a set amount of time, or compulsively counting any number of everyday objects or actions. When any compulsive behavior is stopped, for whatever reason, a person suffering from OCD can have an extremely difficult time functioning until the ritual is completed.
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