Obsessions
Written by Sean on Friday, October 6, 2006
At which point does an obsession become a pathology? I mean, there are many people who "obsess" about things, but they couldn’t be considered pathological obsessions. Is there a difference between a problematic obsession and a pathological one? Questions, questions, but not many answers.
My thinking about being a paraplegic could very well be labelled as an obsession. I think about it, a lot. Just about everything I do reminds me that I’m not paralysed, and that I wish I were. When I put my socks on in the morning, I think "I would be doing this differently if I were a para". When I go to the toilet I think "I’d do this differently if I were a para". When I cook, I’m thinking "I’d have to do things differently if I were a para". When I drive, I think "I’d have to do things differently if I were a para". Just about every single thing I do, I’d be doing somewhat differently if I were a para.
Even using the chair would be different. I realise throughout my day that I tense muscles that couldn’t tense, and that changes how I push my wheelchair, or how it responds to me. Even pushing my actions as far as transfering as a para would, or other things, I’m reminded that I’m not, and that until I am, the physical sensations and experiences won’t ever be the same.
And I go to bed and I dream about being a para. Dreams or nightmares, the wheelchair’s in there!
So yeah, if I look at it objectively, I obsess about being a para.
So to the original question, at which point is an obsession a pathology?
And if it is indeed a pathological obsession, it’s not in the same vein as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. I mean, perhaps one could stretch it and say that my use of the chair is a compulsive action following the obsession of needing to be paralysed. But I think that would be quite a stretch. I know some shrink are viewing Body Identity Integrity Disorder as OCD, and are treating it with the same tools they use for OCD. I also know that those with BIID that have been/are being treated similarly to OCD are seeing no result whatsoever! So that avenue of treatment isn’t working. If it’s not working for one, but is working for the other, then my conclusion is that it’s not the same thing!!!
No real point to today’s rambling. I just had been thinking a lot about the fact that I think about being paralysed a lot. And wanted to explore the idea of "obsession" vs. "pathology".
So, there you have it!
[tags]Obsession, Body Identity Integrity Disorder, OCD, BIID, Wheelchair, Paraplegia, Paralysed, Dreams, Nightmares[/tags]This entry appears in Sean's Thoughts, Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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2 Comments
2 On 20 April, 2007, Sean said:
Hello Lucien,
BIID is not in the DSM because it is only recently becoming known. The last edition of the DSM goes back quite a few years, before BIID was actually given a definition, named as it is currently known.
Even now, as they are preparing the next edition (due 2010 or 2011), it may not make it in, because there are not enough people suffering from it, and the already huge book loses it’s usefulness if it is filled with too many conditions (or so says the editors of the DSM)
As for what to do if your parents take it the wrong way, well, it’s a difficult and tricky question that would require more details to answer appropriately. Please use the contact form to send me a mail, and I’ll be able to respond more in depth.
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1 On 20 April, 2007, Lucien said:
1: I have a very quick question. Why is BIID not in the very big, very ‘complete’ Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders (or whatever its called, I can never tell for sure)? I mean, they have some really stupid things in there, like ADD (which is under the children category) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (also for children), which shouldn’t really count as disorders.
2: What do you do if your parents take it the wrong way? (I know it really doesn’t belong here, but it is driving me crazy)