An obsession is a disturbance of the mind that arises from a fixed idea: for example, the desire to constantly know what is being published on social media.
Obsession is a mental disturbance caused by a fixed idea that persistently assaults the mind. This thought, feeling or tendency appears to be at odds with the person's conscious thought, but persists beyond the efforts to free oneself from it.
With its etymological origin in the Latin word obsessĭo ( “siege” ), the term obsession is associated with a compulsive character that ends up acquiring a painful and distressing condition for the person who suffers from it. When obsessions and compulsions have become chronic, we speak of a neurosis that disrupts the normal life of the subject and transforms into an obsessive-compulsive disorder .
Types of obsession
There are different types of obsessions. For example, there are those related to food . In these cases, the obsession acts as a psychological barrier that prevents a person from changing their weight in a healthy way. Obsession with food can lead to illnesses such as bulimia and anorexia .
An example that can help make sense of what we are explaining would be the following: “Paula was so obsessed with maintaining a perfect body, like that of the models who appeared on television, that, without realizing it, she began to suffer from severe anorexia.”
Obsession with food can lead to disorders such as bulimia or anorexia.
The concept in art
The term obsession has also been used to name different artistic works. In the field of music, the Spanish hard rock band Sangre Azul named their first album “Obsesión” (Obsession) . The Argentine singer Miguel Mateos has done the same with his second solo album.
“Obsesión” is also a Spanish film directed by Francisco Lara Folop and starring Victoria Abril , and a television series that aired in 2005 on TVE .
It is worth noting that there are other films with the same title, from a Mexican film from 1917 to several American proposals.
Among them, for example, is “Portraits of an Obsession” . This American film was released in 2002 , directed by Mark Romanek and starring Robin Williams . It tells the story of a family that will be threatened by the obsession that the employee of the photo shop where they go to develop their negatives has for them. This character, played by the aforementioned actor, is a lonely person who believes he is part of the life of the aforementioned couple and their son after having developed a multitude of photographs of their happiest moments.
Also, we must talk about the production “Portrait of an obsession” from 2006. Steven Shainberg is the director of this biographical film that brings the viewer closer to the life of the great photographer Diane Arbus , played by Nicole Kidman . Specifically, it tells how this woman, against the will of her family, falls in love with a singular man, Lionel Sweeney ( Robert Downey Jr. ), who will be the one who will introduce her to the most marginal world of society.
This fact will awaken Arbus ' interest in life and her desire to reflect with her camera this unknown aspect of the human being.