The Difference Between an Addiction and a Compulsion

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCompulsion vs Addiction: Key DifferencesRelief vs. PleasureReality vs. DenialDistressing Thoughts vs. External CuesTreatment for Compulsions vs. AddictionsFrequently Asked Questions

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Compulsion vs Addiction: Key Differences

Relief vs. Pleasure

Reality vs. Denial

Distressing Thoughts vs. External Cues

Treatment for Compulsions vs. Addictions

Frequently Asked Questions

While people may use the words “addiction” and “compulsion” interchangeably, they are different.Addiction creates a sense of pleasure in the brain and removes discomfort from cravings. Compulsions involve an overwhelming urge to do something but don’t create satiation in the brain’s reward circuitry.

Unfortunately, the misuse of addiction vs. compulsion creates confusion, especially for people experiencing these conditions. It also creates confusion for professionals trying to help people progress through treatment.

At a GlanceWhile addition and compulsion share some commonalities, they mean different things. Compulsions play a part in addiction, but these are different from the compulsive behaviors that people engage in as part of OCD.If you are experiencing compulsions or an addiction, talking to your doctor or mental health professional is an essential first step. By getting an accurate diagnosis, a health professional can recommend appropriate treatments that can help.

At a Glance

While addition and compulsion share some commonalities, they mean different things. Compulsions play a part in addiction, but these are different from the compulsive behaviors that people engage in as part of OCD.If you are experiencing compulsions or an addiction, talking to your doctor or mental health professional is an essential first step. By getting an accurate diagnosis, a health professional can recommend appropriate treatments that can help.

While addition and compulsion share some commonalities, they mean different things. Compulsions play a part in addiction, but these are different from the compulsive behaviors that people engage in as part of OCD.

If you are experiencing compulsions or an addiction, talking to your doctor or mental health professional is an essential first step. By getting an accurate diagnosis, a health professional can recommend appropriate treatments that can help.

In order to understand the meaning of the two terms, it is essential to look at the common features that they share as well as their key differences.

Compulsion

Compulsion is a narrow term that describes the intense urge to do something, which can sometimes lead to a behavior.

Compulsions refer to repetitive behaviors that people feel compelled to engage in due to obsessions. These obsessions create a sense of anxiety, so people engage in compulsions to relieve those feelings of distress.

Examples of compulsions that a person might experience include excessive hand washing, counting, or checking locks.

Compulsions are also asymptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Someone with OCD may have a compulsion to engage in a behavior like washing their hands, tying their shoes, or checking the stove as a way of trying to alleviate anxiety.

Compulsions in OCD are often directly related toobsessions, which are repeated thoughts that generate distress.

Addiction

Addictionis a broad term that describes how someone becomes dependent on a particular substance or behavior.When people have an addiction, they experience an intense and uncontrollable craving for a substance or activity. Consuming that substance or engaging in that behavior produces rewarding feelings of pleasure.

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) defines addiction as a chronic disease that involves compulsively using substances or engaging in behaviors that continue despite harmful consequences.

Compulsions do play a role in the addiction process. As an addiction develops, it often will involve a feeling of compulsion to take an addictive substance, such asalcoholorheroin, or to carry out an addictive behavior, such asgamblingorsex.

OCD SymptomsObsessionsUnwanted thoughts and imagesAvoidance of triggersCompulsionsRituals to control obsessive thoughtsAddiction SymptomsIntense urges for the substanceUsing more to get the same effectInability to stop in spite of negative consequencesWithdrawal symptoms

OCD SymptomsObsessionsUnwanted thoughts and imagesAvoidance of triggersCompulsionsRituals to control obsessive thoughts

Obsessions

Unwanted thoughts and images

Avoidance of triggers

Compulsions

Rituals to control obsessive thoughts

Addiction SymptomsIntense urges for the substanceUsing more to get the same effectInability to stop in spite of negative consequencesWithdrawal symptoms

Intense urges for the substance

Using more to get the same effect

Inability to stop in spite of negative consequences

Withdrawal symptoms

A major distinction between addiction and compulsion is the way they are perceived.

People with OCD may feel a sense of relief when taking part in compulsive behavior, but they don’t feel pleasure; someone with an addiction, however,doesexperience pleasure through their behavior, at least at the onset.

Compulsions Are Associated With Relief

For someone with OCD, compulsions develop as a way to mitigate the anxiety or fear that their obsessions are causing. Someone with an obsession with contamination, for example, may develop compulsions that involve excessive washing and cleaning.

Compulsions often cause emotional distress when they’re carried out, even if they do offer some temporary relief.

Addictions Are Associated With Pleasure

In the case of addiction, the desire to use the substance or engage in the behavior involves an expectation that it will be pleasurable. This expectation of pleasure is so strong that someone with an addiction will continue their behavior even despite the negative consequences it can cause, like:

Although this can resemble the way someone with OCD engages in compulsions because the pleasure is gone, the original motivation to engage in the behavior was to feel good.

Another major distinction between an addiction and a compulsion has to do with awareness and acceptance of reality.

Awareness in Compulsions

Denial in Addiction

In contrast, people with addictions often have memory and cognitive impairment and lack this same level of insight. They may not recognize the negative consequences their addiction is causing. This is known asdenial, and it’s a core component of the addictive process in the brain.

It can be difficult for someone with an addiction to realize that their substance use or behavior is causing problems in their life, and recognizing this fact is a very important step towardrecovery.

Obsessions orintrusive thoughtsoften trigger compulsions in OCD. Such thoughts generate distress, which then leads to compulsive behavior.

Addiction and OCD can both cause major disruptions in your life. However, both conditions are treatable, and seeking professional help is important.

The treatments for compulsions vs. addictions are distinct, so it is essential to distinguish between the two and get an accurate diagnosis.

Treatment for Compulsions

Treatment for OCDmay involve a combination of medication and therapy:

Exposure and response prevention (EPR) is a mainstay of OCD treatment. It is a specific type of exposure therapy that involves exposing the individual to their fears while they the urge to engage in a compulsion.

Treatment for Addiction

Treatment for addictioncan vary based on what you are addicted to. If your addiction involves a substance, your doctor may prescribe medication to help youdetox safelyand deal with symptoms of withdrawal.

Your doctor may also prescribe medication to address the neurochemistry associated with pleasure in the brain.

Therapy is also an important component of addiction treatment. This may include individual or group counseling, as well as a stay in a residential treatment facility.

If you or a loved one are struggling with compulsions or an addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with compulsions or an addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Gambling disorder, sometimes called compulsive gambling, is recognized in theDSM-5as a type of behavioral addiction. Signs of this condition include a preoccupation with gambling, trouble controlling the behavior, financial problems due to gambling, and continuing the behavior despite adverse consequences.Learn More:Signs of Compulsive Gambling

Gambling disorder, sometimes called compulsive gambling, is recognized in theDSM-5as a type of behavioral addiction. Signs of this condition include a preoccupation with gambling, trouble controlling the behavior, financial problems due to gambling, and continuing the behavior despite adverse consequences.

Learn More:Signs of Compulsive Gambling

Treatments are available that can help people overcome compulsive behaviors and addictions. For compulsions related to OCD, treatment often involves medications and therapy such as CBT or exposure and response prevention therapy. Addiction treatments can vary from one substance to the next, but often also involve the use of medications, therapy, and supportive care.

10 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.el-Guebaly N, Mudry T, Zohar J, Tavares H, Potenza MN.Compulsive features in behavioural addictions: The case of pathological gambling.Addiction. 2012;107(10):1726–1734. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03546.xLuigjes J, Lorenzetti V, de Haan S, et al.Defining compulsive behavior.Neuropsychol Rev. 2019;29(1):4-13. doi:10.1007/s11065-019-09404-9Sussman S, Sussman AN.Considering the definition of addiction.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2011;8(10):4025-4038. doi:10.3390/ijerph8104025National Institute of Mental Health.Obsessive-compulsive disorder.American Society of Addiction Medicine.Definition of addiction.Heather N.Is the concept of compulsion useful in the explanation or description of addictive behaviour and experience?Addict Behav Rep. 2017;6:15-38. doi:10.1016/j.abrep.2017.05.002Pickard H.Denial in addiction.Mind Lang. 2016;31(3):277-299. doi:10.1111/mila.12106Del Casale A, Sorice S, Padovano A, et al.Psychopharmacological treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).Curr Neuropharmacol. 2019;17(8):710-736. doi:10.2174/1570159X16666180813155017Janardhan Reddy YC, Sundar AS, Narayanaswamy JC, Math SB.Clinical practice guidelines for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.Indian J Psychiatry. 2017;59(Suppl 1):S74-S90. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.196976Yau YHC, Potenza MN.Gambling disorder and other behavioral addictions: Recognition and treatment.Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2015;23(2):134-146. doi:10.1097/HRP.0000000000000051

10 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.el-Guebaly N, Mudry T, Zohar J, Tavares H, Potenza MN.Compulsive features in behavioural addictions: The case of pathological gambling.Addiction. 2012;107(10):1726–1734. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03546.xLuigjes J, Lorenzetti V, de Haan S, et al.Defining compulsive behavior.Neuropsychol Rev. 2019;29(1):4-13. doi:10.1007/s11065-019-09404-9Sussman S, Sussman AN.Considering the definition of addiction.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2011;8(10):4025-4038. doi:10.3390/ijerph8104025National Institute of Mental Health.Obsessive-compulsive disorder.American Society of Addiction Medicine.Definition of addiction.Heather N.Is the concept of compulsion useful in the explanation or description of addictive behaviour and experience?Addict Behav Rep. 2017;6:15-38. doi:10.1016/j.abrep.2017.05.002Pickard H.Denial in addiction.Mind Lang. 2016;31(3):277-299. doi:10.1111/mila.12106Del Casale A, Sorice S, Padovano A, et al.Psychopharmacological treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).Curr Neuropharmacol. 2019;17(8):710-736. doi:10.2174/1570159X16666180813155017Janardhan Reddy YC, Sundar AS, Narayanaswamy JC, Math SB.Clinical practice guidelines for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.Indian J Psychiatry. 2017;59(Suppl 1):S74-S90. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.196976Yau YHC, Potenza MN.Gambling disorder and other behavioral addictions: Recognition and treatment.Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2015;23(2):134-146. doi:10.1097/HRP.0000000000000051

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

el-Guebaly N, Mudry T, Zohar J, Tavares H, Potenza MN.Compulsive features in behavioural addictions: The case of pathological gambling.Addiction. 2012;107(10):1726–1734. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03546.xLuigjes J, Lorenzetti V, de Haan S, et al.Defining compulsive behavior.Neuropsychol Rev. 2019;29(1):4-13. doi:10.1007/s11065-019-09404-9Sussman S, Sussman AN.Considering the definition of addiction.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2011;8(10):4025-4038. doi:10.3390/ijerph8104025National Institute of Mental Health.Obsessive-compulsive disorder.American Society of Addiction Medicine.Definition of addiction.Heather N.Is the concept of compulsion useful in the explanation or description of addictive behaviour and experience?Addict Behav Rep. 2017;6:15-38. doi:10.1016/j.abrep.2017.05.002Pickard H.Denial in addiction.Mind Lang. 2016;31(3):277-299. doi:10.1111/mila.12106Del Casale A, Sorice S, Padovano A, et al.Psychopharmacological treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).Curr Neuropharmacol. 2019;17(8):710-736. doi:10.2174/1570159X16666180813155017Janardhan Reddy YC, Sundar AS, Narayanaswamy JC, Math SB.Clinical practice guidelines for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.Indian J Psychiatry. 2017;59(Suppl 1):S74-S90. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.196976Yau YHC, Potenza MN.Gambling disorder and other behavioral addictions: Recognition and treatment.Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2015;23(2):134-146. doi:10.1097/HRP.0000000000000051

el-Guebaly N, Mudry T, Zohar J, Tavares H, Potenza MN.Compulsive features in behavioural addictions: The case of pathological gambling.Addiction. 2012;107(10):1726–1734. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03546.x

Luigjes J, Lorenzetti V, de Haan S, et al.Defining compulsive behavior.Neuropsychol Rev. 2019;29(1):4-13. doi:10.1007/s11065-019-09404-9

Sussman S, Sussman AN.Considering the definition of addiction.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2011;8(10):4025-4038. doi:10.3390/ijerph8104025

National Institute of Mental Health.Obsessive-compulsive disorder.

American Society of Addiction Medicine.Definition of addiction.

Heather N.Is the concept of compulsion useful in the explanation or description of addictive behaviour and experience?Addict Behav Rep. 2017;6:15-38. doi:10.1016/j.abrep.2017.05.002

Pickard H.Denial in addiction.Mind Lang. 2016;31(3):277-299. doi:10.1111/mila.12106

Del Casale A, Sorice S, Padovano A, et al.Psychopharmacological treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).Curr Neuropharmacol. 2019;17(8):710-736. doi:10.2174/1570159X16666180813155017

Janardhan Reddy YC, Sundar AS, Narayanaswamy JC, Math SB.Clinical practice guidelines for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.Indian J Psychiatry. 2017;59(Suppl 1):S74-S90. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.196976

Yau YHC, Potenza MN.Gambling disorder and other behavioral addictions: Recognition and treatment.Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2015;23(2):134-146. doi:10.1097/HRP.0000000000000051

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?