 |
Glenn Close, Michael Douglas, and Ann Archer in the popular movie Fatal Attraction,
about a woman who becomes dangerously obsessed with her married ex-lover. Image by: AMCTV.
|
Obsession--the very word [can] evoke images of curiosity, passion, madness, and occasionally, stalkers. It’s been used as a popular romantic perfume, as well as a plot for several movies, both romantic and not, though there isn’t much that’s romantic about it. There are two big categories (which include several subcategories) of obsession: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Fixational Obsession.
While it can also be a symptom of several different forms of mental illness, OCD is the most common. OCD is officially defined as an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry; by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety; or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions.
Fixational Obsession is defined as a state in which an individual becomes obsessed or fixated with an attachment to another person, being or object.
Having seen both forms, I've often wondered what makes one different from the other. Why are symptoms of usually the OCD considered eccentric while a fixation can wind up being dangerous? And how does the brain cause and tell the difference?
OCD is thought to be caused by overactive neurons in the brain that [continuously] focus on executive function and cause excessive complex thinking patterns to form [more than] the average person. Most forms [of the disorder can] cause a person to feel that he or she has to perform some type of ritual [over and over]; example, washing your hands ten times, locking the door five times—otherwise the person feels something terrible will happen to them. Having lived with a moderate form of OCD that is now mostly under control, for me it was always about counting things, touching certain things a particular number of times, making sure all the doors were locked and that all the light switches were in an off position. If I didn’t do these, I feared I’d have a bad day. More severe forms of OCD have people dealing with rituals and fears that literally mean life or death to them, such as the fear of germs. Managing it usually involves a combination of medication and therapy, with a pretty decent success rate, if the person can realize rationally that the ritual does not cause anything one way or the other. While OCD is usually considered eccentric; it is often considered harmful only to the person who has it and rarely to anyone else.
The obsession, or fixation, is often focused towards beings, objects, or other people. An obsession in a movie, book, or things of that sort are no big deal. An obsession with another person though, is often considered by most people to be dangerous at least to some degree. It can happen in romantic relationships, friendships, or even between people who don't know each other (example: obsessions with movie stars). It is thought that early and often traumatic experience in one’s life makes someone prone to being obsessive; as these early experiences cause stress hormones to be released in the brain. This kind of obsession doesn't involve a ritual; it centers on something or someone; in extreme cases, it can manifest as an imaginary relationship or a quest for revenge for perceived not returned affections. Such obsessions can form surprisingly quickly.
Obsession can also be a symptom of a particular mental illness, such as Borderline Personality Disorder, which is defined as whose essential features are a pattern of marked impulsivity and instability of affects, interpersonal relationships, and self image. These symptoms too, are often caused by early lifetime traumatic experiences and exposure to extreme stress. These kinds of obsessive people have a tendency to blow things such as an argument or small snub out of proportion, turning them into life or death scenarios much like those with severe OCD with their rituals. Treatment revolves around meds and therapy, and in extreme cases, confinement of some kind.
Both major forms of obsession involve some degree of fixation on something. Both involve a degree of control either over oneself, or someone or something else. In small degrees, this kind of obsession can be good, as in a reporter's obsession to find the truth, a scientist’s obsession to find a cure, etc. It’s when they get out of control that they can seriously ruin peoples’ lives.
Unfortunately, though many symptoms can be managed to some degree, we're still not at the level where we can fully cure illnesses that cause obsessive symptoms. However, new research is being done all the time, and it is hopeful that soon it will bear some sort of fruit. Now that’s something that’s worth getting fixated on.
