Hyperfixations Can Be Healthy

It seems that every day I’m learning something new because of Tik Tok. I don’t know what “side” of Tik Tok that you find yourself to be on, but I often find videos on my feed about mental health, particularly with the word “hyperfixation” popping up everywhere. I’m not trying to self-diagnose myself with any sort of mental condition, but ever since I learned what a hyperfixation was, I couldn’t get it out of my head that hyperfixations were the way that I associated and interacted with the media that I consumed.

A hyperfixation – also sometimes called a hyperfocus – is defined as “an intense form of mental concentration or visualization that focuses consciousness on a subject, topic, or task.” For my purposes, a hyperfixation is more concerned with a specific topic, especially when it concerns a certain type of media to be consumed. For example, bingeing a multi-season show, or watching all of the Marvel movies in order can begin to constitute a hyperfixation.

However, hyperfixations don’t always stop there; fixation is in the name after all. Fans of certain material are driven to consume all aspects of the media that are readily available. Angel Wilson, a writer for The Geekiary, describes it well, stating,

“Once the primary source has been thoroughly consumed, I need to find any supplemental material that exists.  Does this show have a book? Does this book have a sequel … At some point (usually once the canon source material has dried up) I enter the world of fanworks and it’s all downhill from there.  If there isn’t enough work out there or there isn’t any content I’m looking for, I make it, and I spend every moment thinking about new scenarios to write about.”

The kind of fixation that Wilson describes seems extreme, but I recognize it immediately in the way that I interact with media every day. Just like Wilson, “I just don’t know how to consume things I love in a casual manner.” I obsess over shows for months, come back to old movies after years with the same renewed vigor, and search for every and any possible grain of content that will stimulate me and bring me joy in the same way the original work did.

Hyperfixations like mine can really focus on anything, ranging from books and movies to comics and music. The possibilities are endless and can last for varying amounts of time from person to person. People who experience and take part in intense hyperfixations have on some levels been associated with ADD, ADHD, anxiety disorders, and depression. These individuals use these hyperfixations as coping mechanisms with To-Do lists, daily worries, and when feeling overwhelmed.

These fixations, although sometimes an effect of mental health, can be used in healthy ways. Responding to a Yahoo Life article, Amanda C. said that she hyperfixated on cleaning when she feels sad or angry, in order to make something positive happen and feel less cluttered physically. Sometimes I also hyperfixate on working out or meditating for a few weeks to deal with stress and overwhelming life conditions positively.

Individuals use hyperfixations as coping mechanisms in their daily lives.

Hyperfixations may not seem healthy. Sometimes, they are often uncontrollable and can last for years. But as a coping mechanism for the neurodivergent, they can do just as much harm as good. They allow us to express ourselves by engaging in rewarding fandom and media in order to cope with the stressful and demanding world around us.

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