obsessions
Thoughts that persist
Obsessions are thoughts, ideas, or fixations that occupy the mind persistently and often unwantedly.
The word suggests something beyond ordinary interest—an obsession crowds out other concerns: Her obsession with cleanliness made normal life difficult.
In clinical contexts, obsessions are intrusive thoughts that cause anxiety, often paired with compulsions.
More casually, obsession describes intense enthusiasm: His obsession with vintage cars, a cultural obsession with celebrity.
Absorbing mental focus
- engrossmentTotal absorption in something
- absorptionProcess of taking in
- monomaniaFixation on single idea
- infatuationShort-lived intense attraction
enthrallment · fascination · captivation · single-mindedness · all-consuming · fixated · consumed · possessed
Ceremonial repeated practices
- handwashingCleaning palms with soap
- checkingAct of verification
- countingDetermining quantity sequentially
- cleaningRemoving dirt and mess
hoarding · orderliness · symmetry · repetition · perfectionism · avoidance · urges · rumination
Sudden widespread enthusiasms
- trendsPrevailing directions of change
- fadsShort-lived popular phenomena
- maniaIntense, consuming obsession
- feverElevated body temperature
hysteria · phenomenon · zeitgeist · viral · hype · bandwagon · sensation · furor
Amateur work using existing characters
- cosplayDressing as media characters
- conventionsAccepted social practices
- shippingTransporting goods to destinations
- fanartUnofficial creative homages
superfan · devotee · stan · collector · memorabilia · merchandise · binge-watching · trivia
Compulsive repetition disorder
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
- therapyCurative mental treatment
- cognitive-behavioralRelating thought to action
- intrusiveInvading others' privacy
disorder · diagnosis · treatment · medication · SSRI · psychiatry · psychologist · co-occurring
preoccupation
Absorbing mental focus
- engrossmentTotal absorption in something
- absorptionProcess of taking in
- monomaniaFixation on single idea
infatuation · enthrallment · fascination · captivation · single-mindedness · all-consuming · fixated · consumed · possessed · haunted
rituals
Ceremonial repeated practices
- handwashingCleaning palms with soap
- checkingAct of verification
- countingDetermining quantity sequentially
cleaning · hoarding · orderliness · symmetry · repetition · perfectionism · avoidance · urges · rumination · contamination
crazes
Sudden widespread enthusiasms
- trendsPrevailing directions of change
- fadsShort-lived popular phenomena
- maniaIntense, consuming obsession
fever · hysteria · phenomenon · zeitgeist · viral · hype · bandwagon · sensation · furor · fervor
fanfiction
Amateur work using existing characters
- cosplayDressing as media characters
- conventionsAccepted social practices
- shippingTransporting goods to destinations
fanart · superfan · devotee · stan · collector · memorabilia · merchandise · binge-watching · trivia · headcanons
OCD
Compulsive repetition disorder
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
- therapyCurative mental treatment
- cognitive-behavioralRelating thought to action
intrusive · disorder · diagnosis · treatment · medication · SSRI · psychiatry · psychologist · co-occurring · severity
- Psychiatric Symptomshallucinations, delusions, paranoia, psychosis, flat affect
- behaviorshabit, aggressive, agitation, conduct, passive
- trendstrends, trend, fad, craze, rage
- mental symptomsanxiety, depression, paranoia, hallucination, delusion
- OCDOCD, compulsion, compulsions, intrusive thoughts, checking
- quirkseccentricities, idiosyncrasies, peculiarities, oddities, foibles
obsessionsindifference
Lack of interest
detachment · disregard · unconcern · disinterest · apathy
obsessionsapathy
Absence of feeling
dispassion · indifference · aloofness · coolness · emotional distance
- romantic obsessionFixated longing for another
- social media obsessionCompulsive engagement with networking sites
- food obsessionConsuming mental focus on cuisine
- weight obsessionPreoccupation with body mass
- fitness obsessionCompulsive focus on physical conditioning
- cleanliness obsessionPathological need for purity