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Compulsive Behaviors

Meaning

Compulsive behaviors are defined as repetitive, often ritualistic actions that an individual feels intensely driven to perform, typically in response to an obsession or to reduce overwhelming anxiety, despite the actions being recognized as irrational or excessive. These actions represent a significant failure in inhibitory control and a clear dysregulation of the brain’s complex reward and habit formation circuits. In the context of hormonal health, these behaviors can be directly linked to imbalances in neuroendocrine signaling, particularly involving the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, and the stress hormones of the HPA axis.