obsession

Obsession refers to a persistent, intrusive thought, image, or impulse that repeatedly enters consciousness and causes distress or anxiety. Obsessions are typically unwanted and are difficult to suppress or ignore despite attempts to dismiss them. In everyday language, obsession can also describe a strong preoccupation or fixation with a person, idea, or activity, not necessarily pathological.

Clinical obsessions are a hallmark of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), though they can occur in other conditions such as body dysmorphic disorder or anxiety disorders. In OCD, obsessions are usually paired with compulsions—repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed in response to the obsession intended to reduce distress or prevent a feared outcome. The obsessions and compulsions are time-consuming or impair daily functioning.

Etiology is multifactorial, involving genetic vulnerability, neurobiological factors (notably circuits linking the frontal cortex and basal ganglia, and serotonin signaling), and cognitive-behavioral factors such as distorted threat appraisal and thought-action fusion. Stress can exacerbate symptoms.

Treatment typically includes cognitive-behavioral therapy, particularly exposure and response prevention, and medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. In some cases, augmentation strategies or alternative agents are used.

Outside clinical contexts, the term obsession is used more loosely to describe intense interests or passions, which may be benign or maladaptive depending on their impact on functioning.