Obsession

It has been stated by former president, Benjamin Franklin that the definition of “crazy” is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same results. Another word for this type of behavior is obsession. My interpretation of what obsession really means is an unhealthy pursuit of an object, person, or idea.

Millions of people suffer from this affliction, some more than others, and it can be known to ruin lives. I am not an expert, but I have done some research. I have learned from personal experience that, without medical attention, it can cause tremendous grief; grief for the one experiencing obsession as well as those who are witness to the frantic and intense behaviors.

In my personal experiences, I have witnessed behaviors so incessant to the pursuit of what would be considered unattainable goals, oftentimes being made clear that failure is imminent, and this person continues anyway. It is a damaged and confused mind that strolls down such a path, seeming desperate to disprove everyone else simply because they believe their independent goal will eventually be reached. This obsessive mind does not shut down even in the face of obstacles.

Over the years I have become fascinated with the human mind and have done research to try and understand why we do what we do. In my research on obsessive personality, I found it comes in many forms. In this article I will focus on one type: obsessive love.

The definition of obsessive love is an unhealthy attraction to someone else, also known as “love addiction”. Typically in these types of people you see behaviors of a pursuit of another person, whether or not they are attracted to you in return. One suffering from this form of obsession may even experience rejection from their pursuant, and still try to find a way to make the relationship appear as a mutually desired one. The healthy individual, when faced with this same scenario, would understand that there in fact isn’t a mutually desired relationship and move on. An obsessive mind would, even after repeated indications of another not wanting to share a relationship, continue on with their pursuit.

I’ve witnessed this type of relationship with someone very close to me. This person explained to the other that they did not want an intimate relationship, and found this clarification falling on deaf ears. In fact the one not wanting the relationship was made to feel like they were bad for not allowing this affair. His clarity could not be mistaken, and now he has suffered retribution as a result of not giving into the other’s demands for an intimate relationship.

Like I said before, I am not an expert when it comes to mental illness. I am smart enough and have paid enough attention to those who are the experts, to know when someone is suffering from obsessive behaviors. We all do to some degree. The difference is not letting it rule your life. There’s help out there for those who can’t get past their own mental malfunction. Getting help is not a sign of weakness; rather it is of great strength.