Undisclosed Desires

Most people probably have something stuck in our mind, for a concerning period of time. In the abyss of our thoughts, luring from the dark just the right moment to remind us of our Out of all human weaknesses, obsession seems to be the most dangerous. Simultaneously, the silliest.

First of all, an obsession could be defined as the recurrent thinking of something or someone that never seems to leave a person’s mind.

Obsessions may come and go or develop into a lifelong passion, and they may or may not be unpleasant experiences. A person’s daily life may likely be plagued by repetitive thoughts, nightmares, impulses, or fantasies if they have an obsession. According to Kevin Majeres, MD, who expands on this concept, obsessive thoughts may be unsettling or have other negative implications.

Obsessions can also have an undesirable, unsettling feeling similar to intrusive thoughts. Most people occasionally have invasive or unpleasant ideas. Thoughts can be obtrusive or unwanted without being obsessive. It might be challenging to tell obsessions from worries. A worry is typically anything that is plausible or has a chance of occurring. Following the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.), if a person has distressing desires or ideas that compel them to strive to suppress them or reduce associated stress, they may be suffering from an obsession. (Although many OCD symptoms can be related to these obsessional traits, OCD is not always present in those who have obsessions, as the most notable OCD symptoms are repetitive compulsions that come from obsessions and may result in cycles of repetition.)

Are certain individuals more prone to developing obsessions?

According to Dr. Neo, anyone can become obsessed, but some personality types are more prone to doing so. For certain individuals, a fixation with details and control may result from an anxious mindset. It may occasionally be an obsessive personality disorder that affects all aspects of your functioning. According to Dr. Perpetua Neo, “That can apply to executives who want to rise high – that high level of control, that feeling of reaching all their goals.” The most obvious indicator that a passion is developing into an obsession is when everything else in your life begins to fade into the background.

Consequences of obsession

At its worst, obsession acts as an iron mask that restricts our vision to a single object, or, to use another metaphor, as a huge tidal wave that sweeps all other worries out of our brains. We may get fixated on a person, a place, a goal, or a subject, but in every situation, fixation leads to addiction. Obsession is addictive at first, like all addictions. What a relief it is when it fills us up—especially if we were feeling empty before. Even if we didn’t feel empty, however, fixation gives us a sense of strength, capability, and direction. But like other addictions, time fixation throws us off balance. We frequently start to take things for granted. But even if our lives remain in balance, if the thing we are fixated on is taken away from us, we find ourselves crushed and frequently believe we have lost our final opportunity at happiness.

Following a traumatic event, we could discover that our obsessions come and go. It is never too late to seek assistance, both from professionals and loved ones. One way or another, focusing on our hobbies and mentally healing activities, alongside socialization with people that are promoting healthy mindsets has never disappointed anyone in need.

Positivity of obsession?

By all means, it is more likely to be improbable of an obsession to leave a positive mark than impossible. No matter how vital that one thing may appear, it never determines our pleasure. Furthermore, we must accept that achieving greatness without a modicum of obsession is difficult, if not frequently impossible. In reality, the heightened energy, drive, resolve, and resilience obsession brings can be tremendously adaptive when properly tapped. But even if our lives remain in balance, if the thing we are fixated on is taken away from us, we find ourselves crushed and frequently believe we have lost our final opportunity at happiness. When used to our advantage, obsession can bring out the best in us, inspiring us to use our creativity and ingenuity to find solutions to immensely challenging issues. In other words, obsession can help us achieve greatness.

In the end, what’s to think of an overwhelming and most of the time uncontrollable urge over some person, activity, or idea? I’m not saying that we should try to put an end to obsession; rather, I’m saying that we should try to govern it. Our capacity to control our emotions is inadequate, but not our capacity to control them. Our passions don’t have to control us; we can make them work for us. And when the moment is right, we can learn to let them go.

Note from the author: I wanted to devote the essence of this article to my friend Ellie, who is always kind and a great host.

References

• Overcoming obsession. psychologytoday.com. Available here 
• The Psychology Behind Obsessions. psychcentral.com. Available here 

• Here’s why some people get obsessed with things, according to psychology expert. yahoo.com. Available here