Obsessions are a mental disorder. They are characterized by intrusive images that pop up over and over and are difficult to get rid of the mind. They can relate to different themes such as dirt, contamination, sacrilege, sexuality or even disorder.

Sometimes called “fixed ideas” or “obsessive neurosis,” obsessions are disturbing, unpleasant and unacceptable to the person experiencing them.

There are three forms: ideational obsessions (= ideas, doubts, scruples), phobic obsessions (= obsessive fears) and impulsive obsessions (= fear of committing a criminal or dangerous act).

People with obsessions are generally aware of the disproportionate nature of their thoughts. The first symptoms of an obsessive neurosis usually appear around the age of 20.

There are different reasons that can cause obsessions:

• Psychological and social factors (trauma suffered during childhood, difficult life situations, etc.) can give rise to obsessions.
• Genetic factors may be involved. Genes that help regulate serotonin (= brain chemical messenger that transmits signals between brain cells) can be transmitted.
• Metabolic disorders in the brain can promote the onset of obsessions due to an insufficient concentration of serotonin which plays a role in the regulation of mood, aggression, impulse, sleep, appetite, body temperature and pain.
• In cases of changes in brain activity, 3 regions of the brain may have higher than normal activity (orbito-prefrontal cortex, caudate nucleus, and corpus callosum) and can lead to obsessive neurosis.

Long-term obsessions can lead to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It is a behavioral response to the obsessions, constraining and against the will of the person who undergoes them.

Anxiety can manifest itself in people with obsessions because they are aware of having fixed ideas but cannot do anything about it.

In some people, obsessions lead to the belief that imagining something increases the risk of it happening, which  can be very restrictive.

In order to avoid obsessions, it is advisable to avoid stimulants such as alcohol, coffee or tobacco. Physical activity is recommended as well as relaxation.

Some medications can reduce the onset of obsessions by consulting a doctor first.

Group therapies or natural health products can soothe and reduce obsessions.