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How can I reduce/stop a special interest?

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franknfurter
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10 Nov 2013, 6:59 pm

I have had this specific special interest for about 2 months now and its getting the point where I cannot concentrate on anything else other than this one interest, I am not sleeping much either and I have no motivation to do anything else but think and do things connected to the special interest, I think its becoming unhealthy, I cant seem to control how intense it is, I have also lost all interest in talking to family or friends its completely taking over my existence.



andrewlavigne
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10 Nov 2013, 7:03 pm

franknfurter wrote:
I have had this specific special interest for about 2 months now and its getting the point where I cannot concentrate on anything else other than this one interest, I am not sleeping much either and I have no motivation to do anything else but think and do things connected to the special interest, I think its becoming unhealthy, I cant seem to control how intense it is, I have also lost all interest in talking to family or friends its completely taking over my existence.


Try to devote small chunks of time to other things, and each day increase the amount of time you spend on things other than your special interest. Maybe that way you can slowly wean yourself off of it.

What is your interest anyway?



IdahoRose
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11 Nov 2013, 1:08 am

Force yourself to stop thinking about it and concentrate on other things. It's pretty difficult at first (sort of like the "pink elephant" experiment where if you are told not to and try not to think about a pink elephant, the more often it will enter your mind), but the more you suppress your special interest the more you will find yourself genuinely losing interest in it over time. It's especially helpful if there is some motivation behind wanting to stop a special interest, such as peer pressure (which was always a big one for me). In your case it could be wanting to spend more time with your family.



franknfurter
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11 Nov 2013, 9:13 am

andrewlavigne wrote:
franknfurter wrote:
I have had this specific special interest for about 2 months now and its getting the point where I cannot concentrate on anything else other than this one interest, I am not sleeping much either and I have no motivation to do anything else but think and do things connected to the special interest, I think its becoming unhealthy, I cant seem to control how intense it is, I have also lost all interest in talking to family or friends its completely taking over my existence.


Try to devote small chunks of time to other things, and each day increase the amount of time you spend on things other than your special interest. Maybe that way you can slowly wean yourself off of it.

What is your interest anyway?


its silly really, at the moment the special interest is the band placebo, the interests tend to switch but I have never had one taking over so much before. thanks for the advice, I will try and do that slowly, its difficult because I actually want to just look at my special interest but I know its not good for me



franknfurter
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11 Nov 2013, 9:15 am

IdahoRose wrote:
Force yourself to stop thinking about it and concentrate on other things. It's pretty difficult at first (sort of like the "pink elephant" experiment where if you are told not to and try not to think about a pink elephant, the more often it will enter your mind), but the more you suppress your special interest the more you will find yourself genuinely losing interest in it over time. It's especially helpful if there is some motivation behind wanting to stop a special interest, such as peer pressure (which was always a big one for me). In your case it could be wanting to spend more time with your family.



thanks for the advice, I get what you mean, I need to focus my interest on something else, or a variety of different things, its strange how entrenched you can become in one specific thing.



FluttercordAspie93
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12 Nov 2013, 12:51 am

I find myself in a similar situation.

It's nice to see that you got the help you needed.



SpongeBobRocksMao
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12 Nov 2013, 10:13 am

Well, don't stop your special interest immediately, try slowly weening yourself off it. Like start listening to Placebo less and less each day


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