# Going through periods of obsession with things



## josh2012

Hey SA forum, so recently I've been doing a lot of self-analysis and since my SA is so bad it prevents me from even going to see a doctor I kind of have to diagnose myself and cure myself. 

I've noticed that ever since childhood so from around 14-15 I always have these temporary obsession with eras or things and I spend the whole period learning and thinking about that particular thing until another comes around. 

Its kind of hard to explain but for example recently I became obsessed with WW2. This involved going on wikipedia every day and learning about the theatres of war and people, then it progresses to where I want to watch something related to it so I downloaded Band of Brothers which is a WW2 TV show. Also downloaded some WW2 games. 

After that it was the medieval era. I started learning everything about it and downloaded movies only based on the medieval, etc. 

These periods sometimes last for quite a while and I always find something new afterwards. I don't know what these obsessions are, has anyone had this kind of experience?

PS: I don't mean just general interest, because I realize people wiki stuff all the time. I mean phases of where I think about the topic day and night, in the morning, during breaks, before bed, etc. 

Any help appreciated, thanks!


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## Ramondo

Yes, I do this. I become obsessed with topics for about 6 to 12 months, then lose interest and develop another obsession. Some examples: gardening, botany, astronomy, Shakespeare, motorbikes, tango, computer programming ... Out the back, I have a rusting motorbike, a rusting telescope, dying plants that I once loved. And of course, a few rooms full of books. At the moment I'm into philosophy. 

I think it has something to do with obsessionality. It's easy to forget about the world if you can get really interested in something to the exclusion of other thoughts. I think it's the intensity of the interest that wears you out and you flip over to a new obsession. Sometimes I come back to interests after being away for a few years.


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## tehuti88

I have a handful of interests, but I cycle through them. I'll be obsessively interested in one at one point, then after a few months/years I might move on to another, then to another, then go back to the first one, etc. A lot of it has to do with my writing, or else my writing ties in, since I have several different storylines that make use of my different interests. Like for example, for quite a while I was interested in American Indian culture because of a serial I was working on, but for the past year or so I've been really obsessed with a series I have dealing with some detectives and dissociative identity disorder (I shan't get into detail). ops

It gets such that throughout much of the day, I'll be dwelling in the head of a character of mine or thinking of plots, reading books on related subjects, etc.

I've heard that people with Asperger's can get obsessively narrow interests, but I haven't heard about them cycling through various interests, and I don't fit criteria for Asperger's myself. :stu


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## Cascades

Yes, I go through many obsessions with TV Shows, genres of movies, websites, fitness etc. Currently I'm interested in buying a dirtbike and teaching myself to ride. I think it's a good thing to have these obsessions because you sorta keep yourself busy and you can find other people who are interested in the same stuff you are. It helps you branch out and talk to more people. Plus, when you do talk to people in general you have some knowledge about subjects that can make you that little bit more interesting.


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## Heart of Glass 14

Yep This is me! but I honeslty think this might be something anyone can go through. Even people who don't have social anxiety. I go through periods too and daydream about them sometimes too.


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## ToucanSam

I have had obsessional phases forever. Isn't it a hallmark of Asperger's - ?!

I sometimes won't buy something or pursue something new because I fear it will lead to another obsession.


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## Eimaj

Yup, I've done this for a long time now.


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## Pumpkin Head

A whole lot of famous people had some disorder or other that helped them accomplish the great things that made them famous. You can find lists of this online. It's interesting.

I don't really see the SA personality type as a _totally_ negative thing. There's a book called Highly Sensitive People that goes into detail about this more if you're interested. It talks about how the way current society tends to only accept one type of personality (called 'normal') is a recent development and how in past societies various personality types in a community were appreciated and even necessary. Even in animals, a healthy pack is made up of some individuals who like to run forward and explore and fight and some animals who like to hang back and watch for danger. (Since so many of the explorers get killed it's necessary for their to more of them.) It's evolution, or biology or whatever you want to call it.

We've just been taught by our culture that being sensitive and thoughtful is a bad thing, so it makes our gift become a problem and gives us SA.


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## sadcat

tehuti88 said:


> I have a handful of interests, but I cycle through them. I'll be obsessively interested in one at one point, then after a few months/years I might move on to another, then to another, then go back to the first one, etc. A lot of it has to do with my writing, or else my writing ties in, since I have several different storylines that make use of my different interests. Like for example, for quite a while I was interested in American Indian culture because of a serial I was working on, but for the past year or so I've been really obsessed with a series I have dealing with some detectives and dissociative identity disorder (I shan't get into detail). ops
> 
> It gets such that throughout much of the day, I'll be dwelling in the head of a character of mine or thinking of plots, reading books on related subjects, etc.


Are you me? I guess us writers think alike! :b I literally spend hours a day thinking about my characters and their misadventures. I never seem to be short of writing fodder.


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## Und3rground

I'm quite similar, I go through phases of being consumed by something and wanting to learn as much about it as possible before I lose interest a month or so later. I then look back and wonder why I was so consumed by whatever it was and the cycle starts all over again. Sometimes I go back to previous obsessions but they rarely hold the same level of interest. I've been like this since I was about 9 or 10 and it's been a pretty consistent theme throughout my life.


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## DubnRun

I wish I could have these deep interests in random things.


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## tehuti88

ToucanSam said:


> I have had obsessional phases forever. Isn't it a hallmark of Asperger's - ?!
> 
> I sometimes won't buy something or pursue something new because I fear it will lead to another obsession.


When I get a new obsession I tend to go online, look up all the most authoritative books I can find on the subject, and buy them all. o_o; I went through a phase of buying up every decent-looking book on DID I could find...then I got interested in dream interpretation again and looked up books on that...when I got into Lovecraft again I went seeking out every Lovecraftian fiction book I could dig up. I'll often look in the bibliographies of books I own in search of yet more books on those subjects...agh!!

I haven't read most of this stuff yet. :cry I plan to, I'm just such a slow reader!



sadcat said:


> Are you me? I guess us writers think alike! :b I literally spend hours a day thinking about my characters and their misadventures. I never seem to be short of writing fodder.


:high5


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## 213

This post speaks to my soul. None of my obsessions ever last. One minute im crazy obsessed with something or someone and then the next im completely over it. Although most of them are recurring. I cant concentrate on just one thing. One obsession leads to another. Its like a cycle and its annoying the **** out of me.


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## SandWshooter

I sometimes get obsessed with learning about or collecting something, which is why I have a shelf full of history books and 4 or 5 different ongoing collections


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## rainy cobblestone

yep. I actually switched majors three times because of this and I keep getting these obsessions. see if you can locate one or two major titles for the collection of your "obsessions". for example WW2 and the medieval times are categorized as "History", maybe you can do something with it.
my three main obsessions are computers, history and politics (I know, I know but I can't help it). and I work with computers...


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## akvareller

Yes this is me! I never knew how to explain it to people without sounding crazy though. 

I enjoy it though, because I have a lot of knowledge stored away in my brain and I love learning new things! 

I remember things better if it interests me so if someone speaks of something that I've read before I'll pipe up out of no where and dump some random facts on them. My Mom still wonders how I do this. LOL


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## scott69

I've did the same thing my whole life! I get really obsessed with something for a period of time (often unusual things) and then I find a different obsession. I've been obsessed with pens, deodorant, guns, and other strange things. I haven't been evaluated yet but I'm fairly certain I'm not normal.


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## ThePeon

I too, get obsessed with certain subjects. I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I think it's just a feature of having a geeky personality


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## RelinquishedHell

josh2012 said:


> Hey SA forum, so recently I've been doing a lot of self-analysis and since my SA is so bad it prevents me from even going to see a doctor I kind of have to diagnose myself and cure myself.
> 
> I've noticed that ever since childhood so from around 14-15 I always have these temporary obsession with eras or things and I spend the whole period learning and thinking about that particular thing until another comes around.
> 
> Its kind of hard to explain but for example recently I became obsessed with WW2. This involved going on wikipedia every day and learning about the theatres of war and people, then it progresses to where I want to watch something related to it so I downloaded Band of Brothers which is a WW2 TV show. Also downloaded some WW2 games.
> 
> After that it was the medieval era. I started learning everything about it and downloaded movies only based on the medieval, etc.
> 
> These periods sometimes last for quite a while and I always find something new afterwards. I don't know what these obsessions are, has anyone had this kind of experience?
> 
> PS: I don't mean just general interest, because I realize people wiki stuff all the time. I mean phases of where I think about the topic day and night, in the morning, during breaks, before bed, etc.
> 
> Any help appreciated, thanks!


Lol, the same happened to me. I was actually obsessed with WW2 for awhile as well and I would be able to tell you anything about it and I still know quite a bit. I would never pass up a history show about WW2 and I would read about it constantly.

Then I went through a period of time for about a year where I was obsessed with chemistry. I even still have a bunch of expensive glassware in a box somewhere. My parents used to get mad at me for it too, especially one time when I synthesized pure nitric acid and I allowed it to overheat, which filled the garage with poisonous fumes.

Now I am starting to become obsessed with cars and how they work. Within months I have learned how to completely rebuild my engine. I will just sit there and research how to make certain repairs on my car and then I will meticulously carry them out. The funny thing is my car is a piece of junk that is only worth about $1000. It has 300,000 miles on it, but it feels like it runs like new now.

The sad things is that I know my interests will never last. They usually don't go on for more than a year or so. I think it is just a way for some of us to cope with being alone and bored.


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## indigoXdaisy

I experience this, as well. I have a few different things that I cycle through, being obsessed with one for months at a time. It could be a TV show, video game, a website... Anything, really. Usually, I am constantly thinking about my obsession and am searching for new information about it nonstop.


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## AceEmoKid

I have this. It could be a thing, a topic, a site, a show, a person. I have generally an obsessive tendency. However, they usually burn out as fast as they come. All it takes is something else interesting to come along, and I'll completely forget the prior obsession. I might even avoid it purposely, as if contemptuous of the fact that I had been previously so involved. My life is fueled by an intense cycle of obsessions.

...If I ever get my hand on some drugs, I am going to be in some deep manure.


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## CristianNC

I can relate to this a lot. This obsession switching is actually what rules most of my life. It can be anything from an interesting person, a TV show or series, a game, a site, a movie, a book, a historical period, a philosophical doctrines etc. I actually tend to rewatch movies and TV series a lot because of this. Like some others mentioned, it's a cycle. I wish I had a lifelong obsession that could also be regarded as passion for a certain thing but who knows, maybe I'll find it one day.


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## Randomdood13

I get this too. I go for days or weeks of nights reading wikipedia articles about serial killers for example and then bang one day it's just gone.

Recently I had one about wanting to play the guitar, bought one played it for a week and gone again. Waste of £150. I do have high functioning autism though.


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