My First Obsession Is Life

Like stated in “A Plague of Tics” by David Sedaris, “A person had to do these things because nothing was worse than the anguish of not doing them.” A “normal” individual might argue, “Why not just stop focusing on that and stay positive instead?” To a “normal” individual that might seem realistic but it’s not so for someone like me. We all experience an innumerable amount of thoughts throughout the day, but the issue arises when one thought becomes recurring and more and more prominent in your thoughts. In a combination of anxious thoughts and my OCD, I can find myself entertaining the same thought for hours on end. This fixation on my anxious worries is what often at times causes me to choose stressing over sleeping. I’ve found myself thinking about one thing at 10pm and have that thought carry over until 4am when I can finally convince myself it’s just an unrealistic worry. What was that thought? It was whether I had bubbled my ID number in correctly on my scantron. Looking back I know that it’s ridiculous because I always check my scantron multiple times before I hand it in just to make sure I didn't make a mistake. Even after checking my scantron five times I still feel the urge to check again so I have to force myself to hand it in and trust myself. In the moment these things don't seem irrational. The over-focusing on thoughts and the rechecking of things seem like logical conclusions just to make sure I didn’t mess up. I mean everyone makes mistakes right? It’s sometimes hard to draw the line where it becomes obsessive. Like in the essay, I too find myself succumbing to my OCD because ignoring it would cause even more distress than I already am

| A. Either obsessions or compulsions:Obsessions as defined by (1), (2), (3), and (4):1. Recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress2. The thoughts, impulses, or images

Obsession is a habit brought on by passion and desire; it’s almost as bad as a disease which can eat away at someone. He stated, “Every night I was oppressed by a slow fever, and I became nervous to a most painful degree; a disease that I regretted the more because I had hitherto enjoyed most excellent health, and had boasted of the firmness of my nerves.” (Shelley 1818: pg33). His ambition quickly turned into obsession by his convulsive interest to digging up corpses in the dark of the night to create his monster. He was so blinded by obsession for perfection that he did not see the monstrous beast he was creating until after he created

The worst part is anything could be an obsession whether it's a video-game, a birthmark, or having to big a nose and fat legs. In both “Barbie Doll” and “The Birthmark” the two main female characters both die for similar reasons - they both become obsessed with something that other people tell them. Georgiana in “The Birthmark” never thought her unique birthmark was a defect but instead a charm. But once her husband says it makes her look ugly she undoubtedly believes him. “... she blushed deeply.

Recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges, or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and unwanted, and that in most individuals caused marked anxiety or distress.

obsessions that were unrealistic and I insisted that other people help me to act on them. I

Obsessions are involuntary, uncontrollable thoughts, images, or impulses that occur over and over in the mind. You can’t stop the ideas and your head even if you don’t want them. They become disturbing and distracting at times. Most common obsessions can include anywhere from fear of dirt or germs, fear of contamination, a need for symmetry, order, and precision, religious obsessions, preoccupation with body wastes, lucky and unlucky numbers, sexual or aggressive thoughts, fear of illness or harm coming to oneself or relatives, preoccupation with household items ,intrusive sounds or words.

Obsession is defined as “A persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling” or “a compelling motivation”. (Merriam-Webster, 2018). Obsession is also where someone becomes infatuated with something or someone where it becomes dangerous. People can lose their sense of reality and only focus on their obsession. It can make their friends or family be negatively affected by their obsession. Wallpaper, Birth Mark, and Gatsby each show how obsession tears someone’s mental state apart.

People with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder suffer from a wide variety of obsessions but, most people follow similar symptoms. Their symptoms included an obsessive continual thoughts that keeps recurring causing the person anxiety. People with OCD feel that they have not control of the obsession and compulsions. Then the compulsive act come into play to help ease the anxiety temporarily. Some common obsessions fearing germs, constantly checking locked doors and

For example, in Mean Girls 2, one of the main characters has cleanness OCD. She washes her hands all the time, uses wet wipes on everything, won’t touch people or she will freak out if someone touches her. I have also heard of people who keep are obsessed with making sure that their car or house door or windows are all locked. So, they end up checking multiple times before they leave or when the go into the grocery store, they click the locker various times and then go back and pull on the door handle to make sure it is

Bailey Tart Honors English IV Mrs. Joyner 1st Block 16 December 2015 Morals of Technology Ethics of human society are questioned when studying deep into the unknown. People feel that certain things shouldn’t be studied even though the technology needed is available. Also, even though the technology is available, it does not establish the moral right to study a subject. Becoming obsessed with the work and research of a studied topic can cause people to lose sight of the important things in life.

Mrs. Anderson also inspires me because she seems so diverse in her love of art. I feel like I can relate to her in that way because I have many different levels to my appreciation of art. For example, I have an immense appreciation for photography. Since I was very young I’ve been collecting old cameras and I am fascinated by the way they work. I respect and appreciate the way things used to be done. In today’s world anyone can take a great photo with their smartphone or mega pixel camera, but back then it took a little more effort. Another example is that I have always been drawn to antiques. There is so much beauty in items

Some common obsessions and compulsions are pressing a button various times, organizing anything with labels certain ways, or constantly counting or repeating things out loud. Some more common obsessions are counting, washing, sexual thoughts and many more.

If I were to point out an academic subject that inspires me, it would be photography. To me, photography has become something I’m very passionate about that I’ve developed from the classroom. At first, I had taken photography in order to college requirements out of the way, however; I grew to appreciate the subject much more than I had expected. This was because I found photography very engaging and fun, and that I had a way to creatively express myself. Inside the classroom, I developed the skills and knowledge necessary for the subject. Outside of photography class, the subject evolved into side hobby I enjoy putting time into during my spare time. I’ve even considered at one point becoming a professional photographer as a future career.

OCD plagues people with intrusive, unwanted thoughts or obsessions, which are rarely pleasant. People who have these obsessions recognize that they are senseless. Still, they are unable to stop them. They may worry about