Compulsion

Repetitive behaviors or mental acts that a person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to rigid rules, aimed at reducing anxiety or preventing a feared outcome. Compulsions can be overt physical behaviors (hand washing, checking locks, ordering objects) or covert mental acts (counting, praying, self-reassurance, mental reviewing). While compulsions provide temporary relief, they reinforce the obsession-compulsion cycle and can escalate in frequency and duration. In severe cases, compulsions can consume hours each day and significantly impair daily functioning.