Psychology of obsession

There are people who check if they have locked their house or some people have to wash their hands dozens time in day. It is not normal. Those people have psychical disorder – obsession.

Obsession is a compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea or an unwanted feeling or emotion, often accompanied by symptoms of anxiety.

There are few types of obsessions. These are two of them:

· Obsessive – compulsive disorder (OCD)

· Obsessive love disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is the fourth-most common mental disorder and is diagnosed nearly as often as asthma and diabetes. OCD causes the brain to get stuck on a particular thought or urge. A typical person with OCD performs rituals which leads them to relief from anxiety. This is why people strangest things – washing hands over and over again, checking if the lights are turned off, if door is locked and so on.

Treatment - Exposure and response prevention. For example, if you are a compulsive hand washer, you might be asked to touch the door handle in a public restroom and then be prevented from washing up. As you sit with the anxiety, the urge to wash your hands will gradually begin to go away on its own. In this way, you learn that you don’t need the ritual to get rid of your anxiety – that you have some control over your obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.

Obsessive love disorder is much worse. There are persons who confuse love with obsession. Obsessive lovers believe that only the person they fixate on can make them feel happy and fulfilled. In some cases people think that they are in love with another person even if they do not know each other. This can leads to stalking and in worsed cases – raping and murdering.

It can be cured in few ways:

#1: learning to let go

#2: talking to yourself

#3: finding a hoby or special interest

#4: talking to friends

#5: getting professional help

Disorders may be treated and people may get rid of them. Firstly, people have to realise that they have a problem. Secondly, people must want to be cured. Thirdly, people must get help.

References:

http://helpguide.org/mental/obsessive_compulsive_disorder_ocd.htm

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/obsessive-love-treatment.html

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/obsessive-love-disorder.html