Addiction is not just a lapse in willpower or a streak of poor decisions—it’s a deeply rooted and multifaceted disease that affects how the brain works. Over the last hundred years, scientific exploration has radically shifted our understanding of addiction. It’s no longer seen as a simple failure of morality or discipline, but as a chronic brain condition that alters neural pathways and distorts decision-making, reward, and behavior.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder, commonly referred to as NPD, is officially recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), where it falls under the umbrella of personality disorders. But unlike casual references to narcissism that we often hear in everyday conversation, true NPD is a deeply rooted psychological condition that significantly affects a person’s inner world and how they relate to others.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, more commonly known as OCD, is a complex, enduring mental health condition characterized by intrusive, repetitive thoughts—called obsessions—and compulsive behaviors that a person feels driven to perform. These patterns can become deeply disruptive, making it difficult to function in everyday life.

Whether it’s the compulsion to wash hands repeatedly or the obsessive fear that something bad will happen unless objects are arranged “just right,” the symptoms of OCD can take many forms. What unites them is the overwhelming sense of anxiety and the inability to easily break free from the cycle.