Obsessive Personality: 8 Habits That Lead To Obsession
Throughout life there are numerous situations that are capable of trapping our mind in a loop that seems eternal.
Recurring thoughts, unjustified anxiety about phenomena that constantly attract attention… They are characteristics of the obsessive personality which, although not pathological in itself, is statistically associated with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and certain anxiety problems.
Psychologically, the concept of obsession refers to the presence of an idea, belief or mental image that recurrently interferes with the state of consciousness of the person and makes their thinking go “on rails.” That is to say, obsessions limit the spontaneity with which one acts, since they go hand in hand with a thought loop that feeds on its own effects.
Rumination, which is precisely this vicious circle of mental processes, is a phenomenon that goes hand in hand with obsession. Furthermore, the consequences of this tend to be an increase in specific stress and anxiety, as well as premonitory beliefs about the future new appearance of those obsessive thoughts.
The 10 habits of the obsessive personality
But… what are the signs that reveal the existence of an obsessive personality? To do this you have to look in the habits that arise on a daily basis. The main ones are the following.
Obsessive people tend to spend much more time making calculations or estimates about what may happen in the future in order to, thus, keep alive the idea that they have everything under control.
2. Escapist habits
The obsessive personality needs to rely on moments of escapism to not have to constantly endure anxiety of always having to be in control of what happens. Weekend getaways, long games of video games or simply periods of isolation are usually statistically more common than normal in these people.
3. Use of dichotomous thinking
The obsessive personality is based on a style of thinking that is very categorical and that radically distinguishes what is right from what is wrong. That is why a lot of concern is put into doing things well, since in the event of failure there are no nuances that can cushion the unpleasantness of that experience.
4. Constant emphasis on responsibility
These people always have in mind the idea that if you don’t act proactively, things tend to go wrong, and the strange thing is that they turn out right without even trying. That’s why They always put a lot of pressure on human actions whether they belong to others or, in many cases, only their own.
5. Avoidance of the option to delegate
The obsessive personality is controlling and, therefore, usually goes hand in hand with a characteristic habit: one does not delegate, and there is a clear preference for doing important things oneself. Leaving things in the hands of others would imply take a risk that for some is too high and that is why it is preferred to have conscious control over what is happening, although that option is more tiring.
Those with obsessive personalities tend to seek acceptance from others to a somewhat higher degree than the rest of the population. Unlike what happens with narcissists, this has nothing to do with the need to maintain a highly idealized and inflated self-image, but with the need to believe in your own abilities so as not to feel weak in the face of day-to-day problems.
Having a bad public image means having a mirror in front of us in which our abilities are questioned, and this means that worries about what may happen to us can attack us more easily.
7. Defense of the value of justice and order
This type of people prefers order to the unpredictable and spontaneous, since the second option generates more uncertainty, worries and, consequently, obsessive thoughts that wear us out psychologically. This It is also reflected in the way he expresses his ideals. although that does not mean that they should be conservative; They simply defend the idea of ​​basing relationships on well-established pacts whose violation entails compensatory consequences.
8. Tics and stereotyped behaviors
Some people with this type of personality show stereotypical actions in their daily lives, without them being so serious or invasive as to be considered a symptom of OCD. Are a way to give structure to what is being experienced making each moment experienced as something connected to the others and there being a feeling that everything that is experienced is integrated into a unit. Of course, most of these actions are involuntary and almost automatic.
