Obsessions

As I sit here and write this blog, there are so many things that I can think of that if they were taken away, I would feel that a part of me was missing. As humans, it’s normal for us to develop attachments to people, places, things, etc. We get used to having certain things in our lives and they become part of us. When we have to go without or lose what we love, it can make us feel empty inside. The extreme version of this behavior is what borders on obsession.

I’m sure that most of us recall a time where we became obsessed with a person, a song, a hobby, a sport, a vacation spot, a favorite pair of shoes, our cell phone, food, etc. There are different levels of obsession, some of which keep you healthy and motivated and others which are detrimental to our mental and physical wellbeing. I believe a lot of how we feel and what we have going on in our lives contributes to developing and maintaining obsessions. For example, if we have lost a loved one, we may obsess or be clingy with our friends and family. If we are stressed and dealing with a rough time, we may become obsessed with a certain song that seems to speak to us and helps us cope, playing it over and over and over again.

Obsessions can come and go, temporary obsessions are to me a type of coping mechanism, or a way to distract and reduce anxiety. Long-term obsessions in my opinion are deep-rooted from our past experiences or feeling a lack of something in one’s life. Obsession can also be a way of avoiding life. Someone who has had a lot of negative past experiences with people may cling to the first person that shows them love, someone who is having a hard time mentally may turn to drugs to ease the pain and that high becomes something that individual keeps craving. An individual who is extremely shy may become overly involved in a hobby that allows themselves to retreat from society and avoid human contact.

I am someone who tends to have obsessive tendencies. I can get wrapped up in a person, play a song nonstop on repeat, eat sweets to no end, and overthink life relentlessly, however most of the time they are nothing but a temporary distraction. There are times however where my obsessions are too strong for my liking. When my thoughts or feelings hit this point it becomes difficult to want to do or think of anything else. This makes me very uneasy and uncomfortable. I try to create a better balance in my life so that I am not so fixated on one thing, I also try to figure out what the root of my obsession is stemming from.

When it comes to obsessions or desires, it’s interesting to note that your heart and mind may want different things. I’ve always wished to have more control over my mind and heart, however to a point we don’t have full control over that and it is something in our subconscious, something that makes us individually unique.

We can all learn a thing or two from each other. How do you all deal with desires and obsessions?

As always, thank you for reading and have a beautiful week!