$\"man$ <\/a>

Police psychology deals a lot with obsession.<\/p><\/div>\n

Police psychology<\/span> deals with a lot of obsession. Police stress<\/span> can also be the result of obsession. I am big on obsession (can\u2019t you tell?). I see obsession everywhere (anger, depression, love, hate, writing a blog). In fact, you could say I am obsessed with obsession. Researchers have said that we have 60,000 thoughts a day (and 90% are the same thoughts we had the day before), and obsessive people have even more than that. In fact, obsessives can have as many as 90,000 or 120,000 thoughts in one day. I don\u2019t know how they count thoughts in a day, but those are the numbers they come up with.\u00a0 This can be both a gift and a curse. You do get a lot done, if the obsessiveness doesn\u2019t drive you crazy.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Obsession is not limited to people who have been diagnosed or labeled<\/a> with this behavior\u2014we all experience obsessions. Whether you are obsessed with a certain song, a specific food, a store, a TV show, or even a person you care about, we all know the feeling of not being able to get something out of our head. I remember a phase my daughter went through a few years ago where she sang \u201cThe wheels on the bus go round and round\u201d at the top of her lungs. Every day. Every minute of every day, a wheel on that damn bus! This was bad enough, but it got to the point that I found myself humming this tune even when I wasn\u2019t with her, like while I was brushing my teeth, or in the middle of a session with one of my clients (oops, I\u2019m not supposed to reveal that). We will all continue to have obsessions as we encounter different things in life. Some things just have a way of sticking with you (if you have a female child like me, you\u2019re probably thinking of \u201cLet it Go\u201d from Frozen\u2014I\u2019m still trying to get that out of my head).<\/span><\/p>\n

The Biology of Obsession<\/h2>\n
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Psychologists in fields as varied as clinical and police psychology understand that different sections of the brain control obsessions.<\/p><\/div>\n
Psychologists in fields as varied as clinical and police psychology<\/strong> understand that different sections of the brain control obsessions. The basal ganglia is one section of the brain that is thought to be responsible for obsessive thoughts. Other areas that play a role are structures known as the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) the thalamus and the anterior cingulate gyrus. These fancy terms are just here to let you know that obsession is not just a behavior, it is biological too; it is built and organized inside our brains. It\u2019s not so important for you to know the names of these parts, but it is important for you to know that these same brain sections are activated in people who are experiencing anxiety and often depression. They can\u2019t get the one thought that is making them miserable out of their head. PTSD is also heavily related to obsession. So is police stress<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
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When someone is obsessed with something, they can be dysfunctional\u2014sometimes they can\u2019t focus on more important things, sometimes they can\u2019t get the object of their obsession out of their head. They are, in a sense, debilitated, dependent on something else to function normally. It can also be frightening because you can feel like you don\u2019t have control over your thoughts. And sometimes obsessions can be just plain annoying\u2014I mean do you really want to be singing \u201cThe wheels on the bus\u201d as you enter an important business meeting or while you are kissing your spouse?<\/span><\/p>\n
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The most important thing you can do for any obsessions you are experiencing is for you to regain control of your thoughts. Remember, focused obsession has been part of the formula for some of the world\u2019s greatest accomplishments. When I write a book, I get obsessed, I spend a week with the windows covered, the doors locked, no sense of time, just pure obsession, and it works. If unfocused, you may end up staying up all night thinking about the person, song, celebrity, show, etc\u2026which can have a tremendous detriment on your sleep and productivity throughout the day. So if taking back control over thoughts is how to avoid getting stuck in an obsession, how can we do this in practice?<\/span><\/p>\n
$\"Police$ <\/a>3 Steps for Breaking an Obsession<\/h2>\n
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Obsessions can prevent you from movement<\/a>, they can bog you down in thoughts or feelings that make you feel like you don\u2019t have control over yourself anymore. Use these tips to fight back against these thoughts and regain control over your mind.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Thought stopping<\/strong>. The first trick you can do to break any obsession you have is to implement different techniques that stop your mind from wandering to the object\/person. One way that I find particularly easy and useful is the rubber band trick. Wrap a rubber band around your wrist and anytime you realize your thoughts are heading toward the object of obsession, you snap the elastic on your wrist. This results in two things: one, chances are that will distract you enough that you will stop thinking about whatever you were going to think about. Two, slowly you will start associating the obsessive thoughts with the stupid little pain of the rubber band slapped against your wrist. This is called classical conditioning, and it works very well. I use it all the time in police psychology<\/em>, and it certainly seems to help my clients dealing with police stress<\/em>. \u00a0There are many other ways you can implement thought-stopping techniques. Other examples include having an alarm beep every few minutes and when the alarm beeps you have to stop and think about what you are currently thinking about (something called metacognition), and make sure your thoughts are staying away from your obsession. You may want to reward yourself if you are able to go a certain amount of time without thinking about it too (this is operant conditioning-covering all bases today).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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Organizing the Obsession<\/strong>. Another strategy you can use in order to avoid getting stuck in your obsession is to organize the obsession. Say to yourself, \u201cThis is the order in which I will do things. First, let\u2019s focus on step A.\u201d Create order and structure in your day in such a way that you leave very little room for obsessive thoughts to impede. You can also organize the thoughts in your head. There is a concept in memory called the Method of Loci, or the \u201cmemory palace.\u201d This technique explores the idea that we can visualize a room where we can \u201cput\u201d different thoughts we have. For example, \u201cput\u201d all thoughts related to work on the top shelf in the room you visualize. \u201cPut\u201d all thoughts related to your relationships in the bottom desk drawer in the room you visualize. This technique is very common among students who need to memorize a lot of information for exams, but it can be used to organize obsessive thoughts too. \u00a0In relationships, I make people do a list of \u201cforgets,\u201d things you have to forget to stay married. Same principle, different application.\u00a0 By making lists you are also using the obsession to an advantage instead of a detriment.
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Have a go-to fantasy<\/strong>. Whenever you feel like your mind is wandering to your object of obsession, immediately replace is with a go-to fantasy. For example, become the quarterback at for the Notre Dame football team, or the wing in the world cup, and you\u2019re about to win the game for the whole team. Other fantasies can be that you\u2019re lying on the beach in Hawaii, or at a wine tasting in Italy. Pick a fantasy of your own\u2014one that has some particular meaning or significance to you\u2014and use that as a place to \u201cgo to\u201d whenever you want to avoid thinking about the object of your obsession.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D. ABPP<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
To follow me on this blog fill in your email address and click at left of page at the top of the sidebar<\/span><\/p>\n
\u00a0Please share this with other people on your social network from down below.<\/span><\/p>\n
\u00a0For books by Dr. Gary S. Aumiller got to http:\/\/www.myherodad.com<\/a> or http:\/\/www.myheromom.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
Join me on Facebook or Linkedin (see sidebar).<\/span><\/p>\n
\u00a0 If you enjoyed this tip, sign up to receive updates for more posts on the latest in police psychology.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Police Psychology | Can\u2019t Take My Mind Off of You \u00a0 Police psychology deals with a lot of obsession. Police stress can also be the result of obsession. I am big on obsession (can\u2019t you tell?). I see obsession everywhere (anger, depression, love, hate, writing a blog). In fact, you could say I am obsessed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17168878],"tags":[17168836,17168797,17168831],"class_list":["post-471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-thoughts","tag-obsession","tag-police-psychology","tag-police-stress"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":549,"url":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=549","url_meta":{"origin":471,"position":0},"title":"Police Psychology | You Change Your Underwear, Don\u2019t You","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"August 12, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | You Change Your Underwear, Don\u2019t You \u00a0 Police psychology is about change (and police stress\u00a0is often about dealing with change). It could be changing an officer\u2019s life, changing the behavior of a perpetrator, or choosing the officer who will go into an academy and have to deal\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mastering Change"","block_context":{"text":"Mastering Change","link":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168881"},"img":{"alt_text":"Police Psychology Change 2","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/policepsychologyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Police-Psychology-Change-2-300x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5092,"url":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=5092","url_meta":{"origin":471,"position":1},"title":"Police Psychology | The Obsessed Mind-Body Connection","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"January 10, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | The Obsessed Mind-Body Connection by Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D. ABPP","rel":"","context":"In "Mastering Thoughts"","block_context":{"text":"Mastering Thoughts","link":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168878"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":709,"url":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=709","url_meta":{"origin":471,"position":2},"title":"Police Psychology | Those Damn Cameras","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"September 10, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | Those Damn Cameras \u00a0 Body cameras are the latest \u201cbig thing\u201d in policing, and thus those in the field of police psychology needs to explore how that affects the job. \u00a0Although people argue that body cameras are a good thing, they can also impose an incredible amount\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Rank and Leadership"","block_context":{"text":"Rank and Leadership","link":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168887"},"img":{"alt_text":"Psychology | camera","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/policepsychologyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Camera-1-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4987,"url":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=4987","url_meta":{"origin":471,"position":3},"title":"Police Psychology | Symptom Stress","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"December 15, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | Symptom Stress by Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D.\u00a0 ABPP Police Psychology has a strong cognitive element. Thoughts are very powerful. They have the ability to shape your reality and create a world that is completely different than anyone else\u2019s. They can provide you with questions and solutions that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mastering Thoughts"","block_context":{"text":"Mastering Thoughts","link":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168878"},"img":{"alt_text":"anxiety, Police Psychology","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/policepsychologyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/anxiety-275x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4386,"url":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=4386","url_meta":{"origin":471,"position":4},"title":"Police Psychology Video: The Joy of a Missing Persons Case","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"October 13, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | The Joy of a Missing Person Case by Det. Gary Travers Produced and Intro by Sara Gaertner \u00a0","rel":"","context":"In "Mastering Thoughts"","block_context":{"text":"Mastering Thoughts","link":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168878"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3148,"url":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=3148","url_meta":{"origin":471,"position":5},"title":"Police Psychology | PTSD 2: Crash and Burn","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"June 28, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | PTSD 2:\u00a0 Crash and Burn by Gary S. Aumiller, PH.D.\u00a0 ABPP Have you ever had the chance to be in a drunk driving simulation or even play a game on a drunk driving simulator?\u00a0 You try to keep the car on a straight path, but it keeps\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Police Stress"","block_context":{"text":"Police Stress","link":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168885"},"img":{"alt_text":"gears in head","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/policepsychologyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/gears-in-head-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p60sbO-7B","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=471"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":659,"href":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471\/revisions\/659"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}