How obsessive are you?

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I actually like my obsessions... for the most part. I know other people don't like hearing about them, though. I can always feel when an obsession is starting, but I really can't explain it, though I wish I could. My newest obsession has been "Battlestar Galactica." I've watched the entire series in less than two weeks, that's 73 episodes. Plus, I'm in the middle of the mini-series right now.

Someone else said they get "people obsessions" & I can completely relate to that & I also know it's not a good thing. Ever since I was a kid, there has always been a specific person that I will obsess over for a period of 3-5 years, usually 5. Sometimes two "people obsessions" will overlap, but only rarely. Usually it will be a celebrity, but sometimes it's a person I know, or have only met a few times. For about two years now, I have been obsessed with a particular not-toooo-well-known singer & recently, since I've begun watching "Battlestar Galactica," I've become obsessed with a character on the show.

I know that sounds odd, but it's not a stalker-type thing at all. I would never even dream of contacting the people, nor do I want to. I'm embarrassed of the obsessions I get over people. But I just feel like I have to get any kind of info on the person that I can. Because of that, I google & YouTube them every single day, or nearly so. I'm just compelled to know more & more & more. That also goes for anything else I become obsessed with, whether it be a television or book series, a particular author or directors works, a specific genre of something..... anything.

I have no life at all, so my obsessions are really all I have, which are probably why I love them so much, but they do get tiring. Especially when I've been obsessing over the same subject for three years or more.

Oh, yep, those good ol' focused-interests. Before I'd heard of AS, they'd caused occasional problems in my marriage. If it went on for a while, my wife would complain (not unfairly) that I was spending too much time on X, and it wasn't healthy, then escalate to X being a problem (which was never really the case, but that part was hard to explain), and then eventually, an ultimatum of X or her. So, I'd drop X, and pick up an interest in Y (sometimes at her suggestion) and the cycle would start again.

Kind of knowing what we're dealing with now, we're both working to try to make the whole process more positive. I found an activity that's creative and requires socialization, and she's about as tolerant of it as possible. The sheer limits of physical stamina are kind of limiting my participation -- I actually turned down an offer to do another project a week or so back... though it was really painful to do so.

Once a subject really interests me, I find as much information as I possibly can, and talk about it a lot. I've done this with symbolism, numerology, new age spirituality, the occult, the paranormal, politics, conspiracy theory, certain authors, photography, web design, alternative medicine, and much more. I don't see how one could be any other way. The concept of being nonchalant about something of interest just doesn't make sense.

Quite, it seems.

When I find something I like, I will research the subject extensively, but not to the exclusion of all else. Currently I am interested in tennis (watching, not playing, as I have no athletic ability whatsoever. My favorite players are Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and you can't get me out of my room when either or both are on.

I'm also very obsessive about my pets. They mean the world to me.

I have obsessions as well. I am obsessed with parrots, music, and health/human anatomy. I can talk about parrots for hours and hours on end.

contemplating obsession .. the line i get is .. i am obsession .. rather than have them ..

like almost feeling there are nothing but obsession ...








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Avatar copyright Woodfish

I am very obsessive. I have both OCD and AS, so it's inevitable, I suppose. My special interests are my most obvious and severe AS symptom, I'd say. I'm sure that's what got me on the road to diagnosis. I've had special interests ever since about 18 months of age, and I cannot imagine my life without them. They define my happiness and my identity, really. Sometimes, though, they get so intense that they literally are all that make me happy, and when I'm without them, I just have tearful breakdowns. I, too, get people obsessions, as others have mentioned. I've had two major people obsessions, and they are the most difficult type of special interest to deal with, if you ask me, because you cannot control how often or how long you see the person.

Also, the majority of my special interests are films or TV shows or the like, rather than a topical special interest. So, I tend to give monologues on my special interests much more than is typical for an Aspie my age. There's really nothing to research about a specific TV show or movie after you learn the preliminary facts, so all you can do is watch the show/movie in question and blather on and on about it to your close friends and family. Whatever is my most intense special interest at the time really is the majority of what I think about. I'd say that at least 85-90% of my thoughts are about the main special interest in any given day. I tend to talk and think about my special interests more than I actually sit down and pursue them, really.
-OddDuckNash99-

really helpful hearing how others experience obsession .. makes me relax a bit about my own stuff.








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Avatar copyright Woodfish

Don't get me started on my obsessions. My life revolves around them. Without them...I'm nothing.