How to deal with obsessions

Dealing with obsessions can be a challenge, but there are strategies that can help. It is important to understand what obsessions are, as well as the underlying causes of obsessive thoughts in order to effectively deal with them.

Obsessions are defined as persistent and intrusive thoughts or ideas which cause distress and interfere with daily functioning. They can be related to fears around personal safety, beliefs about germs or disease, perfectionism, worries about the future or past events, intense preoccupations with certain objects and activities, religious beliefs odd sensations and emotions. Common symptoms of obsession may include difficulty concentrating on tasks; fear of something bad happening; distress caused by an inability to control one’s thoughts; over-planning; avoidance behaviour in relation to certain items/activities; emotional intensity at times when engaged in particular activities/items but feeling ‘flat’ when not engaged in those activity/items etc.

The first step towards dealing with obsessions is understanding what they are and why they occur. The most effective way to do this is through cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which involves identifying patterns of thoughts (cognitions) which precede the obsessive behaviours – for example if you obsess about cats you would look for any ideas or expectations you held prior that catalyse such thinking – then developing thought-stopping techniques through challenging these cognitions and replacing them more adaptive ones - evoking rational responses instead of jumps into irrational conclusions. CBT also emphasises relaxation strategies such as meditation breathing exercises which work on reducing the physical tension associated with having intrusive obsessive thoughts. Exposure response prevention (ERP), a form of behavioural therapy , has been found particularly helpful for individuals struggling specifically with compulsive behaviours such exposure will initially increase anxiety levels however it is often successful in reducing levels after several sessions when facing feared objects head on, whilst actively engaging in supportive self talk aimed at controlling physiological arousal during response prevention stages level out allowing clients more freedom from compulsion inducing anxiety.

Supportive self talk used during ERP should focus upon reinforcement methods based upon positive contributions made towards maintaining healthy change , so rather than focusing sometimes negative language i e ‘I must not think like this’ use encouraging phrases i e ” I have coped well today, I am taking small steps each day towards reducing my obsessional thinking". Setting realistic goals should also form part of intervention; trying too hard all at once often leads us back into compulsions so taking small bite size chunks allows us greater opportunity for progress.

Challenging catastrophic thinking can also help reduce ways our overwhelming anxious responding overtakes rational responses - will this really happen? What's worse case scenario? How likely is it that worse case scenario will actually materialise? Second guessing your own cognitive processes around how much choice we actually have over situations et al plays an important role within helping yourself gain perspective regarding how debilitating our own interpretations became Social support networks should plays a key roll; creating safe spaces where people feel respected accepted provides vital components within recovery process ensuring mental health requirements remain consistent alongside other areas life continue ongoing healthy psychological growth...

Thank you to everyone for your responses and sharing your experiences with obsessions 

Well I suppose I am still alive, but what I would really like is to publicise / find a useful action to reduce suicide. Publicise the distress that autistics suffer. Get the police to be more understanding of asd.

any of these things really 

I’ve heard of people who have had an obsession run for 20 years, but it did end, eventually. Personally I find that my obsessions tend to run for as long as I am gaining something from that obsession, even the total brain ache obsessions, because that gain can be many different things depending on the obsession. Are you gaining anything from your obsession?

Speaking from my own perspective obsessions make me reclusive and are a barrier towards me leaving the house and learning social skills. (through trial by error. Which is the only way i can really learn them)

I’ve had my same obsession for 7 years now and it certainly shows no signs of settling 

Obsessions, they’re an autistic thing 

I did a lot of research into autistic obsessions a few years ago when I was in the middle of the most consuming/brain melting/exhausting obsession that I have ever had the displeasure to experience. Obsessions can be horrific but they’re not always bad. In fact, dare I say, they can even be therapeutic. I would say that I am currently without ‘problematic obsession’. Note that I chose my words carefully there, I am not without obsession, I never will be without obsession but I without obsession that is causing a problem to me. I’m going to try to share what I learned during my period of research into autistic obsessions, in no particular order:

We can’t help it! There are numerous research articles detailing the mental rigidity and difficulty in shifting set that are prevalent in Autism and the impact that this has on restriction and repetitive thoughts/words/behaviours. Put simply, our brains get stuck. Our neural circuitry dictates that our standard thought process is thinking in continuous never ending loops, regardless of whether we are thinking about a special interest, an anxiety providing situation, or pretty much anything. Our brains just like to go around in circles. 

We need our obsessions. They’re kind of therapeutic for us, obsessing about something we are interested in is great way for the autistic mind to unwind from stress.They’re all in our heads. Our obsessions are our fantasy worlds where we can be whoever we want to be, where we can project unmet needs onto others, where other people can be exactly who we want them to be. But it is all just in our heads. It’s important to be able to make that distinction between fantasy and reality. 
I could go on but I fear I may start to bore people.

If you are finding your obsessions problematic then it would be wise to seek help through therapy. But whether you do this or not, obsessions do pass in time.

i dont understand why the courts convicted you of trying to change peoples suicidal thinking? how did you do it?

but dont feel like a hopeless failure. there are many people through history who have endured to do what they thought was right, and been persecuted for that. I'm sure whatever happened you did it with the best intentions.

why do you think people obsess over suicide?

It'd be very difficult to measure... maybe it'd be something about the time spent on the activity? That wouldn't give you the full picture though. I'm liking the terminology too

I think autistic obsessions is a really hard thing to measure scientifically. 
like how would you measure it, and work out whats causing it, and what causes it to fizzle out - in order to help prevent the fizzling out process. 

(i'm liking the term fizzling out atm)

Yes 43 years as a doctor. Feeling a hopeless failure and can’t find a solution but love my family although feeling a great burden for them especially since criminal conviction for trying to help suicidal thinking. The courts did not understand what I was doing and do not realise they may have given me a death sentence it’s the humiliation of a conviction and massive national publicity tv and media. Police have been really awful 

I'm sure it's probably linked in some way. I used to obsess over fictional people, like characters in TV programmes or books.

are you a qualified doctor?
and are you talking about being obsessed with killing yourself?

another thing i have is with relationships. I can REALLY like someone obsessively, then one day just completely go off them and dont know why. must be same thing.

I have had an obsession about try to settle suicidal thinking especially for asd people as I am a doctor plagued with regrets. It has now been every day for 7 years and I’ve done so much research. especially with compute use artificial intelligence. Involved in national projects but was arrested by police for trying scam sites to change thinking. Terrible consequences. Now I try meditating mindfulness reading socialising distractions but can’t manage more than 5 minutes without coming back to my obsession about suicide and I don’t want to die but it seems inevitable soon especially as I have been convicted for implied suicidal threats as malicious communications . This was a communication suggested by Samaritans and my doctor. The law seems brutally wrong  my positive obsessions have been getting degrees, triathlon, medical research, medicine but this one about trying to find a way to stop suicidal thoughts is by far the worst

That'd be interesting to find out 

yeah. there must be a neurological reason for why we experience this?

maybe a specialist dr of clinical psychologist would be able to explain why it happens and even strategies ti assist it?

(like how dyslexics sometimes can read if they wear colour tinted glasses. maybe autistics can not lose their fizz if they can do something?)

I wish I could stop them fizzling out too! I have this issue with my music and writing - I have a very on/off relationship with them. I once started a novel and got so far into it, then lost interest. I haven't managed to get back to it since.

i relate totally. especially to the obsession lasting then fizzling out. I can get really into something for months, then something happens either I cause it to fizzle out, or something externally impacts my belief/enjoyment and suddenly i have no more enthusiasm for it.

I also have what I call ocd/compulsive behaviours that really stress me out if i do not do, or others do not do properly,

i wish there were a way to stop them fizzling out because most are really positive ideas, projects, and goals. 
I they feel almost like they are how manic depressives feel like in a way.

I experience obsessions too - some good, some bad. I have both autism and OCD, so I have to work out which obsessions are positive (i.e. I enjoy them and explore them because I want to), and which are causing my harm (i.e. the obsessions are linked to compulsive thoughts/behaviours that are either harmful, or cause distress). 

My positive obsessions (or special interests) tend to fluctuate over time; some fizzle out, whereas others remain lifelong interests. Some examples include:

• Learning about/spending time with dogs (or animals in general).
• Reading as much as possible (all genres, whether fiction or non-fiction).
• Writing creatively (particularly poetry).
• Learning languages.
• Playing music.
• Learning about autism.
• Learning about mental health.
• Doing puzzles.
• TV programmes or films, or even characters/actors from TV and film.

As long as the obsessions are benefiting you in some way (e.g. helping you to relax, or helping you to learn/achieve something) and not putting you at a disadvantage (e.g. they put a strain on your finances, or on your relationships with the people close to you), then I see no harm in letting yourself enjoy them. Just try to check that you're engaging in the activities because you like them, not because you feel forced to (e.g. my OCD would trick me into thinking bad things would happen if I didn't to certain activities, but I engage with my autistic special interests because they fascinate me).