Have you ever become obsessed with a new hobby, person, subject, or pastime to the point it overtook your life? This is called hyperfixation. What started as a fun new way to pass the time becomes an obsessive problem that overshadows all other areas of a person’s life
Montare Tucson helps people who deal with hyperfixation as well as any accompanying mental health disorders. Our highly effective residential program provides support for people who need the structured care of a 24/7 facility. Our licensed therapists help each person understand what drives them to fixate in an unhealthy way on something and learn to reduce their reliance on it. With our help, they lead a more balanced life with room for many people and activities in it.
What Exactly is Hyperfixation?
When someone develops hyperfixation, the focus is on an activity, a person, or an object. They become so obsessed with it that they spend inordinate amounts of time talking and thinking about the object. The individual’s daily responsibilities suffer, including things like jobs, schoolwork, family life, friendships, and hobbies. It becomes as if there is nothing else in the world going on but the object of the person’s hyperfixation.
Symptoms
Common symptoms of hyperfixation include:
- Talking and thinking non-stop about the subject.
- Devoting so much time to the object of focus that the person ignores meals, break times, and sleeping.
- Feeling unaware of people or activities going on around the person
- Not fulfilling responsibilities at home, work, and elsewhere.
- Spending an inordinate amount of hours per day focused on the subject and being upset when they have to stop.
Causes
Hyperfixation can be used to help a person distract themselves from a troubling topic or ongoing difficult situation. For example, the person might be going through a breakup or a financial crisis and throw themselves into a hyperfixation on something to keep from dwelling on the problem.
Sometimes a person who has a mental health disorder loses themselves in hyperfixation. People on the autism spectrum or who have ADHD often develop hyperfixations. It can also happen to those with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and OCD. However, not all cases of hyperfixation have an identifiable cause.
What is an Example of Hyperfixation?
A person’s hyperfixation can center on any number of things. Some of the most common ones include:
- Social media
- The Internet
- Video games
- A famous entertainment star
- A television show or movie
- Fitness and health
- Someone the individual knows
- A new hobby
- Sports
- Food and drinks
What are the Characteristics of Hyperfixation?
Someone with hyperfixation may start without having any object of obsession. Then they begin to submerge themselves into a serious interest in something or someone. From there, they become unable to think about anything else. For others, like those who have a lifelong mental illness, the habit of becoming hyperfixated is often something their loved ones have long noticed.
What’s the Difference Between Hyperfixation and a Special Interest?
If someone develops an infatuation for a subject or activity that is short-lived or does not monopolize their time to an unhealthy degree, that is not hyperfixation. For example, a student may spend a great deal of time studying a school subject, but once their work is turned in, they move on to something else. They were hyperfocused but not hyperfixated. If they became hyperfixated, they would obsess over the subject matter and focus on it while ignoring everything else.
Is Hyperfixation Bad?
Hyperfixation, when done temporarily, can prove beneficial to a person. Someone who is trying to learn a new language, become proficient at a sport, or master a new task at work can use hyperfixation to their advantage. If they have a goal in mind and reach it, they can relax and let go of their fixation. When it becomes problematic is when the individual cannot stop focusing on the subject and pushes all other activities and responsibilities aside for an inordinate amount of time. As well, It’s unhealthy if they use fixation to distract themselves from painful or troubling emotions or events.
How Long Do Hyperfixations Last?
Hyperfixation can last from a few weeks up to several years. The most common amount of time is several weeks or months. If a person with a mental health disorder experiences hyperfixation, formal treatment can help them recognize their obsession and resist the urge to engage in it.
Contact Montare Tucson to Start Treatment for Hyperfixation
Do you experience hyperfixation and find it interferes with your ability to take care of your daily responsibilities? If so, professional treatment is available that helps you alleviate your need to stay focused on one subject or pastime. At Montare Tucson, we believe in treating each person as an individual. We provide treatment designed to meet their specific needs. We also provide options for prescription medications that can help reduce symptoms of anxiety and obsessiveness.
Contact us today to find out how our program can fit your needs. Our admissions staff can provide a free insurance verification so you know more about your financial options.
Published: 4/2/2025
