 According
to Christine Hammonds, MS, LMHC, obsession is "ritualistic" thinking
or behavior and addiction has to do with feeling "satisfied". For
example, "When you obsess, ritualistic routines are part of your everyday life.
Perhaps you comb your hair the same way you did as a teenager, you
recheck all of the doors at night even though you have been told it is
already locked, you replay the same conversation over and over again
just trying to figure it out".... However, in an addiction, we are seeking an escape. "...you never feel satisfied unless using the substance. Perhaps you drink
alcohol to relax, take prescription drugs to numb the pain, shop for
clothing to feel better about how you look, gamble to earn quick easy
money, exercise to get the adrenaline high, look at porn to feel
desirable, smoke to unwind, watch soap operas to feel romantic, play
video games to feel successful or eat sugar to get energy. All of these
behaviors have roots in escaping from an undesirable place to a
desirable place and in fantasy living" (Hammonds, C., 2013).
This may be all well and dandy,but the major difference is that some
experts believe that an obsession can be managed and transformed into
success! Dr. Alex Lickerman sees obsession as not being as
destructive as addiction and can be used to our advantage. "The
challenge then is to make our obsessions function positively,
controlling them so they don't control us, extracting the benefit of
obsession without succumbing to its detriments" (Lickerman, A., 2010).
Dr. Lickerman goes on to list several ways to manage an obsession such
as:
- Distract yourself at varying intervals
- Accomplish a task that helps put your obsession behind you
- Focus on your greater mission
- Adopt a practice that grounds you
- Listen to what others tell you
In his article in Psychology Today, Obsession: How to make an obsession function properly, Dr. Lickerman states, "I'm not arguing here that we should seek to extinguish obsession; I'm arguing we should seek to control it. Our ability to bend our emotions to our will is poor, but not our ability to manage them" (Lickerman, A., 2010).
References:
Hammonds, C., The Difference Between an Obsession and an Addiction. Retrieved May 1, 2014 online from http://christinehammondcounseling.com/2013/03/07/the-difference-between-an-obsession-and-an-addiction/
Lickerman, A.,
Obsession: How to make an obsession function positively, Psychology Today. Retrieved May 1, 2014 online from http://www.psychologytoday.com/collections/201205/obsessed-or-addicted/obsess-success
Read more about addiction at My Addicted Mind.Com
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