Obsessing Over Something or Someone

Obsession with Something or Someone

Several times this last month I have been approached for help by people struggling to deal with obsession of some sort or the other. Obsession even if it is not considered a morbid condition could become a nerve-wracking experience. It could completely throw life off balance and get people into serious trouble. Your mind runs off down a rabbit hole, leaving the rest of your life at standstill. It is overwhelming in nature as it consumes all your time and energy.  The worst side of obsession is that it could grow even worse when the object of the obsession is suddenly withdrawn/taken away.  A little obsession can be good, if directly rightly. It could drive career growth or help people achieve their goals effortlessly. Having said that, the very word obsession indicates imbalance. To put it simply, obsession is trying to grip something so hard that you squeeze the life blood out of it, either way the you suffers loss.

Obsession is an addiction, it is intoxicating and overwhelming at first.  It seemingly provides some sort of relief when one indulges in it, however it is a deep ravine that is difficult to get out of over a period of time. It is tempting to give in to the obsession despite knowing that it is irrational behavior.  

It drains out so much of your time. Obsessions preoccupy the mind and make it impossible to get the mind off it. Consequently it leaches out so much of one’s valuable time which could be devoted to constructive and meaningful pursuits.

It makes a person lose focus on what is important. The individual tends to fail dismally in his or her ability to prioritize needs and wants in life,  which essentially means that the person’s life could be in complete disarray.

Much of the time spent in a day is wasted unproductively on the thing they obsess about. The person’s obsession takes up all the energy, as he/she may be checking on stuff or worrying over them repeatedly even when he/she knows that nothing much changes in the short time. 

Obsession leads to unwanted stress. The mind is constantly engaged in making sense of a situation or solving a stressful problem or perceived threats. Sometimes this kind of over rumination leads to second guessing, assuming or imagining things that may or may not happen.

Obsession with stuff or people is likely to emotionally unbalance the person.  Severe mood swings, getting annoyed or frustrated easily, sometimes even being abusive could be the result of this emotional imbalance. It is also possible that the person’s excessive indulgence in negative thoughts and ruminations could lead to a certain amount of paranoia.

Obsession could impair judgment and cause individuals to take uncalled for risks, making them do things totally out of character.  This could make life difficult for them and others concerned.

It saps people out physically and reducing their immunity which could in turn give rise to causes other medical complications like hypertension, morbid anxiety, heartburn and ulcers to name a few. Food obsessions could lead to other forms of physiological problems like obesity, high blood sugar levels etc.,

If the obsession is with a person then it could turn to hate and violence if the object of the obsession does not to respond positively to the person’s overtures. This extreme preoccupation with someone could also backfire in that, the object of their interest could start feeling stifled and move away from the person.

 It’s important to break away from any extreme form of attachment or preoccupations in the light of one’s mental and physical health. It would be good to stand back and take a good look at your life, count the cost, refocus on what is important. To wean yourself away from the obsession it would help to, stop looking/indulging in those things that take your focus back to your obsession, refuse to constantly speak about it or mentally engage in those thoughts. Take a break, give your mind rest and you will be able to think clearly and rationally.