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OCD vs. Special Interests vs. Addictions

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Angnix
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12 Jan 2010, 10:25 pm

OCD vs. Special Interests vs. Addictions

I just wanted the differences between these clarified, I tried to ask other people on a general mental health site with little luck.

My psychiatrist when I asked about AS instead decided I had OCD. But I thought my behavior was special-interesty...

Basically I do this: New Sonic videogame comes out. I wouldn't normally like it, but I have to buy it cause it has Sonic in it. I don't necessarily think something bad will happen if I don't buy it though. Then after I buy it, I have to talk about it online with the other fans and often I go as far as writing an unoffical guide to the game after I beat it to post on the internet.

Same with birds, especially as a kid, I would sit there and read for hours about the birds, and would have to buy stuff related to birds, etc...

Some sort of wierd addiction though?

I just don't totally understand the dividing line between these terms.


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IdahoRose
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13 Jan 2010, 2:09 am

I'm no professional, but here's what I think the difference is:

Special Interest: Something that brings someone a lot of joy to think about and engage in constantly. It's something that's always on their mind, but makes them feel excited and happy rather than worried. The subject of the special interest is often used as a coping mechanism, and the person with the special interest does not want to give it up, but only because it makes them feel good and occupies their mind.

OCD: Continually thinking about something, but it's something that often causes someone to feel afraid rather than happy. They can't get rid of the obsession even though they genuinely want to. The sufferer feels the overwhelming need to perform a ritual or task related to their obsession, and has emotional breakdowns if they can't do so.

Addiction: Continually craving something that makes someone feel high, either mentally or physically. Little emotional investment is put into the object of addiction; it's only a means to an end, and that end is getting a rush. However, mental and/or physical withdrawals often occur if someone tries to quit their addiction.



criss
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13 Jan 2010, 2:52 am

Thatwas so well presented IdahoRose.

I have OCD, AS routine stuff / speical interets as well as a addictive patterns.

My AS special interests and routine are life affirming
My OCD is life diminishing


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Rocky
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13 Jan 2010, 2:59 am

IdahoRose wrote:
I'm no professional, but here's what I think the difference is:

Special Interest: Something that brings someone a lot of joy to think about and engage in constantly. It's something that's always on their mind, but makes them feel excited and happy rather than worried. The subject of the special interest is often used as a coping mechanism, and the person with the special interest does not want to give it up, but only because it makes them feel good and occupies their mind.

OCD: Continually thinking about something, but it's something that often causes someone to feel afraid rather than happy. They can't get rid of the obsession even though they genuinely want to. The sufferer feels the overwhelming need to perform a ritual or task related to their obsession, and has emotional breakdowns if they can't do so.

Addiction: Continually craving something that makes someone feel high, either mentally or physically. Little emotional investment is put into the object of addiction; it's only a means to an end, and that end is getting a rush. However, mental and/or physical withdrawals often occur if someone tries to quit their addiction.


This is a subject I have been wondering about. Your answer seems to ring true to me, except that I can imagine pursuing a special interest to such an extreme as to be unhealthy. An example would be spending so much time on it that one might not eat properly, stay hydrated, etc. Someone might drive unsafely if they are distracted by thinking too intensely about their special interest instead of concentrating on safe driving. That would seem to be to be possibly a type of addiction. I wonder if endorphins are involved in some cases.


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Rocky
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13 Jan 2010, 3:03 am

criss wrote:
Thatwas so well presented IdahoRose.

I have OCD, AS routine stuff / speical interets as well as a addictive patterns.

My AS special interests and routine are life affirming
My OCD is life diminishing


Thanks for the post. It is interesting to get a perspective from someone with first hand experience with the three subjects we are comparing.


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IdahoRose
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13 Jan 2010, 3:45 am

Rocky wrote:
IdahoRose wrote:
I'm no professional, but here's what I think the difference is:

Special Interest: Something that brings someone a lot of joy to think about and engage in constantly. It's something that's always on their mind, but makes them feel excited and happy rather than worried. The subject of the special interest is often used as a coping mechanism, and the person with the special interest does not want to give it up, but only because it makes them feel good and occupies their mind.

OCD: Continually thinking about something, but it's something that often causes someone to feel afraid rather than happy. They can't get rid of the obsession even though they genuinely want to. The sufferer feels the overwhelming need to perform a ritual or task related to their obsession, and has emotional breakdowns if they can't do so.

Addiction: Continually craving something that makes someone feel high, either mentally or physically. Little emotional investment is put into the object of addiction; it's only a means to an end, and that end is getting a rush. However, mental and/or physical withdrawals often occur if someone tries to quit their addiction.


This is a subject I have been wondering about. Your answer seems to ring true to me, except that I can imagine pursuing a special interest to such an extreme as to be unhealthy. An example would be spending so much time on it that one might not eat properly, stay hydrated, etc. Someone might drive unsafely if they are distracted by thinking too intensely about their special interest instead of concentrating on safe driving. That would seem to be to be possibly a type of addiction. I wonder if endorphins are involved in some cases.


Hmm yes good point. I was speaking mostly from personal experience (on everything except drugs), and I've never actually experienced special interests to an "unhealthy" degree.



IdahoRose
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13 Jan 2010, 3:49 am

criss wrote:
Thatwas so well presented IdahoRose.

I have OCD, AS routine stuff / speical interets as well as a addictive patterns.

My AS special interests and routine are life affirming
My OCD is life diminishing


Thank you. I know how you feel - when I had severe OCD, the only thing keeping me from going absolutely crazy was my special interests.



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13 Jan 2010, 10:25 am

IdahoRose wrote:
Special Interest: Something that brings someone a lot of joy to think about and engage in constantly. It's something that's always on their mind, but makes them feel excited and happy rather than worried. The subject of the special interest is often used as a coping mechanism, and the person with the special interest does not want to give it up, but only because it makes them feel good and occupies their mind.
[...]
Addiction: Continually craving something that makes someone feel high, either mentally or physically. Little emotional investment is put into the object of addiction; it's only a means to an end, and that end is getting a rush. However, mental and/or physical withdrawals often occur if someone tries to quit their addiction.

I gotta disagree.. from what I've seen, there is emotional attachment to the addiction, although usually it is because of the rush. :? I'm not sure if I said that correctly, because it looks a lot like what you said, but I can't help having the feeling that the line is much fuzzier than it sounds like in your post. Although perhaps I've been trained to think of special interests as addictions--like that eating disorders are addictions, and then finding out that a rather large percentage of anorexics have undiagnosed ASDs. A lot of what is generally referred to as internet addictions, or video game addictions, could probably more accurately be described as "special interest" than "addiction."
Okay, so I'm not actually disagreeing with you--I'm saying that you're disagreeing with a lot of professionals who would call things addictions that are, by the definition/description that you used, actually special interests. But that you're the one who is right.