Special Intrests: Lifelong obsessions or passing fads?

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With me, it seems that I get new obsessions fairly often, but the old ones never really leave. I still really like them, they just aren't an obsession. (Well, not an Aspie obsession- still more of an obsession than a neurotypical's "obsession.") My mind gets cluttered but never is emptied. My intensity of the obsession waxes and wanes, just like my OCD obsessions. Some days I barely think about it, and on other days, I try to slip the topic into conversation any way I know how. I'm very giddy when I'm having a day where I need to talk and talk about my obsession. And, on those days, it is all-consuming. I can't focus on anything else. But, for the most part, I can function and get my work done. I've always had more than one at a time. I honestly don't think I've ever just had one "special interest" at a time. Now, I only ever have one "special interest" that I need to talk and talk about, so maybe that's what you mean. (I can tell when an Aspie obsession cools off when I don't have the compulsion to talk and talk about it.) I have had both broad and specific obsessions, but mine are usually specific. Like, as a kid, I was obsessed with road signs and height requirements for amusement park rides. (Still love both, but the road signs aren't an obsession any more. The height requirements are, though, and if I go to an amusement park, learning those is as much fun to me as the actual ride.) I wasn't interested in cars or transportation- just the signs. My main obsession now is A Beautiful Mind, but that's specific, too. I'm not obsessed with movies/cinema, in general. The only "broad" obsession I have is biochemistry/anatomy/neuropsych. Just science. And American history, too. But for things that aren't science/history-related, my obsessions are pretty focused. Even within my science/history obsessions, I have focuses. Like the 1920's and cellular respiration.
-OddDuckNash4348-

Obsessions can be long-term or short-term or both.

Once I was obsessed with "The Sorrow" from MGS3 for about 10 minutes

On the other hand I've loved toxicology since I was eight.

I have special interests that I have followed since childhood. However, it may apear to an outsider that these interests have gone away, because I'm not actively persuing them, right now. This maybe because I have gotten distracted with something else or because of a lack of new information to fuel the interest. For example, I enjoy studying the space program between the year 1957 and 1975. My perfered sources of information are books written by Astronauts who flew durring that time period. Unfortunatly I have read everybook in this catergory as well as many others about the space program and have found nothing new to study. When I come across something, I'm likely to read it and spend a greater percentaged of my free time, reading/ thinking about the subject.

I'd say that the #1 obsession on this forum is, obsessions.

I've had a lifelong obsession to music, just songs. Other than that my obsessions change regularly. The worst one though that has stayed with me now for 2 1/2 years now is with some guy I work with.

He avoids me. Now that I know about AS, I think he has it. Of course, before I knew about it I couldn't figure out why he ran from me. He seems to have some of the symptoms but not really knowing him, I don't know. I think he thinks I'm after him, still. It makes me really sad and I have given up on ever getting to know him. Having AS makes it really hard to get to know someone. I come on too strong and get misunderstood a lot.

I don't know if it's a good idea or not but I wrote him a letter explaining I just wanted to get to know him, not get into a frickin rrelationship. I don't even date. I haven't given it to him yet but I am soon. I'm hoping after I give it to to him, it will trigger something and make it go away. Usually when I do something bizaree like that it helps but in this case, I don't know. Guess I'll find. I just know it's driving me insane and I just need for THAT one to go away.

I'm just afraid if that doesn't work the only way to get over it is to quit. I work 2 jobs and I'd still have my main job but I'd just have to turn around and get another part time job.

I really don't seem to have an obsession, at least not my idea of an "obsession," one that consumes my thoughts and compulsions.

But one thing that consumes my time and one thing that I am interested more than other things is music. I can say that I am a music freak, although I don't constantly think of music and that sort of thing.

Take a look at my avatar if you've got a sec.

I've been a lover of Routemasters, since I was five years old. I'm 32, now. My obsession has lasted for twenty seven years.

Some obsessions have passed, but others, like cats, are a constant in my life. I have been a cat lover ever since I could remember. I am currently fascinated by Roger Bannister, the first man to break the four minute mile. I find his life story inspriational for many reasons. He succeeded when people said it couldn't be done. He also became a doctor, specializing in neurology.

Like OddDuckNash, all of my obsessions still exist in the form of stored knowledge that I can access at any time.

I was obsessed with cats from the day I was born (not domestic cats... things like tigers and lions)

Lion King (one of the things that got me diagnosed)

Animals

Meerkats

AspicViper,

I love ALL cats, domestic and wild. Tigers and Lynxes are my favorite wild cats.

my major and life long obsession is audio... in particular recording devices. started when I was nine and first got to play with a tape recorder. Im now 36, and am a recording engineer...I'm very lucky and grateful that my obsession has become my career.

within the audio thing I have 'sub' obsessions, at the moment its compressors.In the past it has been microphones and reel to reel recorders. I'm still really into mics and tape machines, but devote extra time to compressors.

Another long term obsession is cats...domestic cats. when I was a primary school my teacher banned me from doing studies on cats...she said that I knew so much about them! I still get those big glossy picture photo books of cats out of the library.

other child hood ones ...vocanos and rock collecting (still collect a little). music...both listening and playing, the music thing is interwoven into my recording obsession.

And recent adult obsessions are photography , started 2 years ago and it feels like its going to be a lifetime thing, LOVE IT.

electronics and sports cars and cranes.

MBC

Most of mine are fleeting (lasting a few days or weeks), or they come in phases - the obsession will be strong for awhile, then it will fade, then it'll be strong again, and so on. Some of them, though - writing, mysticism, and oppressive governments - I've had for years.

My obsessions change all the time. Sometimes one can last for months; sometimes literally for a couple of days. Some I might become suddenly obsessed with, then it goes away and I never show more than a passing interest in again, and some are recurring, where I've always got some degree of interest in, but every so often something makes me completely obsessed with them for a while.

Then sometimes what was originally a focused obsession on one particular thing broadens and encompasses anything remotely to do with that thing. Like I might become obsessed with one character in a movie set in the 1920s, and it widens so I'm obsessed with anything to do with the 1920s for a while. It's like I can't get enough of the true, central obsession and am desperately trying to find more of it.

Earthworms... I love all invertebrates.

Madbadcat,

You can never learn enough about cats! They teach you something new every day.

hey 9catmom,

you are so right! and thats one of the best things about having one live in your house.... not like you actually 'own' a cat....more that they decide to eat and sleep at your place .....

MBC

That's what I love about them. They need us to feed them and love them, but they have a wonderful sense of independence. They do cute things that nobody trains them to do. That is why I love watching cat videos on the Animal Planet programs. Dogs' tricks are far too scripted and some of the things people make them do even seem cruel.