How To Stop Obsessing Over Someone?

Obsessing over someone involves a persistent concentration of energy on someone or something.

Contents show

This continues to a level in which it leads to dangerous repercussions, causing a serious necessity to cease the behavior.

There are many different forms of obsession. This can develop from an experience that affects someone a lot, leading to them becoming passionate about the other individual.

Obsessing over someone doesn’t just occur romantically. It can happen with co-workers, friends, or even complete strangers.

We’ll cover more about obsessing over another person in this article, including why it is so harmful and the things you can do to stop this behavior.

How Obsession Affects You?

When affection for another turns into genuine fixation, the attachment can turn very harmful.

This affects the individual who is experiencing the attachment and the other who is the target of their affections.

Obsession can affect people in relationships. Being more invested in a relationship compared to your partner can look like obsession, even though you might believe that your actions and emotions are perfectly healthy.

Lack of interest can cause the individual that is starved of affection to engage in obsessive behaviors over the other individual.

They might put the other one on a pedestal to try and become closer to them, only for their actions to revolve around the other individual’s pleasure, instead of their own.

If you aren’t in a couple, the obsession with the other may occur quite early on, even if the other individual hasn’t had much interaction with you.

Obsession can happen after two strangers pass on the street.

If the object of the obsession is aware of the person fixating on them, this can be extremely frightening and disconcerting for them to deal with.

Here are some behaviors that are linked with obsession over another person.

Continuous thoughts about a single individual
Unable to accept rejection from that individual
Feeling jealous or possessive about the individual
Low self-esteem
Intrusive thoughts that stop you from carrying out general day-to-day tasks
Dismissing how the other individual feels about the fixated feelings and actions
Emotionally unavailable for others, except the person you are obsessing over

If you think that you are developing a preoccupation with someone that’s turning into the brink of obsession, you need to prevent it from getting any worse.

However, it can be hard to work out how to stop obsessing over another, as these fixated thoughts can keep bringing the individual to the forefront of your mind.

The quicker you act to get these thoughts under control, the better it will be for you and the other person.

Consequences Of Obsessing Over Another

This might not be the case for everyone, but some people may find that their obsessive fixations about another can develop and become seriously dangerous.

As the thoughts and feelings become even stronger, some individuals have been seen to kill for the individual they are obsessing over.

This might be due to envy or jealousy that occurs, or after someone takes advantage of their behavior, turning them into a pawn for another.

Others have even committed suicide after their obsessive affections aren’t returned or recognized.

These are extreme examples, but they are real consequences of obsessive behavior.

This means that it’s very important to recognize fixated behavior and get help immediately if you notice these tendencies developing any further.

How To Stop Obsessing Over Another Person?

Many people live normal lives and are fixated on other people that they are interested in, like famous singers or actors.

We often see this type of obsession in society, though most individuals think that there isn’t anything wrong with this.

You may have used the term ‘obsessed’ to describe your love for something, like a famous person, brand, or even your favorite food.

The word is used all the time, which is why many people don’t understand its severity.

Remember that if fixation is allowed to develop to intense levels, the association can become harmful to you and the other individual.

Here are some steps that may help you overcome your obsessive tendencies.

Think About The Other Individual And Their Feelings

Be mindful about how you are perceiving the other individual. Think about how they might feel if your obsessive behaviors continue.

If you find it hard to stop thinking about them, you may be en route to fixation, and will need to do the work to stop these thoughts in your head.

Use Hobbies And Activities As A Distraction

Distracting yourself from your thoughts can be helpful. Try to do other activities that encourage self-development.

These will show you that life involves things that are more important than your obsessive tendencies.

These activities will help you improve who you are as a person, helping you to become a better one overall.

If done right, you won’t just go back to who you were before the obsession started, but develop into a more well-rounded individual in the process.

Move Your Attention On To Something Else

Moving your focus to something else that isn’t the other individual can help you distract yourself from your obsessive thoughts.

The path to self-improvement and discovery can occur gradually or all at once.

Examples include focusing on physical activity, eating a nutritious diet, and spending time alone with your thoughts.

These will show you how to prioritize your well-being, instead of concentrating on the individual you are obsessing over.

These activities might help you heal and show you the areas in your life that are stopping you from loving yourself.

You should also look at your current relationships with your friends and family members.

Think about who your trusted support system is and work on investing in these connections.

Obsession is, for the most part, temporary. Your true loved ones, however, will be there for most of your life.

The Bottom Line

If you notice that you are engaging in obsessive behaviors and thoughts about another, there are steps you can take to get help.

Doing this will require hard work, so it’s best to seek professional help.

Qualified therapists and counselors will be able to help you, preventing your fixation from ruining your and the other person’s life.

Author
Recent Posts

Ben Easter

Hi, we are Ben Easter and Paige Stephens-Easter, and we have been married for 10 years. Together, we have immersed ourselves in the world of personal development, with our full-time business - Lucid Shift Coaching.

We believe that mental health and mindfulness are the most important things in a relationship, and we need to cherish these things in order to be the best versions of ourselves.

Our core values include Play, Growth, Connection, Collaboration, and Authenticity. These apply to our work, relationship, and all areas of our lives where we want to see improvement.

Please enjoy our website and learn more about personal development through mindfulness, nurturing your mental health, and more.