Obsessions

Obsessions can be a good thing- if used correctly.

..... Sometimes a healthy obsession can land you in a lot of trouble.

Anything and everything can be healthy until it's not.

The textbook definition of the word obsession: a state of mind where a person thinks about one specific thing, idea, or person constantly, making it hard to think about anything else.

Obsessions can help with losing weight- then the obsession can turn sideways, and next thing you know you have an eating disorder or you find something else about your appearance you 'need' to fix.

Some people take their appearance seriously, not just weight loss. Fashion, Botox, and plastic surgery are a few other topics people do tend to go overboard about. The real question is: How far is too far?

Obsessions are also weird, especially when they're about another human. It's a social norm to be obsessed with celebrities, artists, authors or even fictional characters. Why? Because it's unrealistic that you would ever meet them or have them in your daily life.

You do have those rare cases where someone gets carried away, and that's where they get into trouble.

For more daily interactions with obsessions, again, sometimes people do get carried away and become obsessed with their romantic partners or friends. Which, of course, becomes a very big problem in the relationship. Why? Because the person you're obsessed with becomes the centre of the universe.

Of course, this has obvious problems. The person will most likely become overwhelmed with this. They may also try to set healthy boundaries with the person, but unfortunately, it always leads to them separating. This often leads the person to spiral out of control and find any way to get their 'fix.'

Hobbies can be another troubled topic. Hobbies can be a healthy outlet from your day-to-day life. Until, yes, there's an until, it takes over your life and you spend more money than you make annually. When all you do is your hobby over anything else, we're not talking about hobbies that happen to be your main source of income.

Everything is good in moderation. Who is to say what moderation is? Where is the grey area of what moderation is? Is it very different from person to person?

Sometimes an obsession does get out of hand that they need medical treatment and therapy. Sometimes a person doesn't get that; it just lands them in prison with a restraining order.

Obsessions are also a weird thing. I like to think of an obsession as a domino effect. Either it helps you cope, keeps you busy and turns into something beautiful, or it takes over your entire world. Becoming something dark and twisted. Which will cause more problems for you in the long run.

In today's society, where everything is dark and the world is going to shit, we need a little something to be obsessed with. Something that we can deep-dive into. Something we can keep our minds busy enough to distract us from the dark and twisty things the world has to offer, negatively.

Hopefully, your obsession is a very healthy one to help you navigate life. Consider that there is a fine line between healthy typical obsessions, OCD and any other mental illnesses, or even landing in jail for getting carried away.

When it does become a problem, there are resources you can find on Google or by speaking to your doctor to find out what your next step is to getting the help that you need. There is nothing wrong or shameful with seeking the mental help you need. There is always someone willing to help; you just need to ask.