Monomania: definition and examples

George Alvarez 28-10-2023
George Alvarez

We all have some kind of obsession, be it healthy or quite detrimental to our lives. However, an exclusive group of people live exclusively on a single idea and condition themselves to live it. Understand the meaning of monomania and some common examples from our everyday life.

What is monomania?

Monomania is a paranoia in which the individual ends up fixating on a single idea in his life. So you become hostage to a single thought and believe that this defines your life and your world.

Unfortunately, this type of paranoia ends up restricting all aspects of one's daily life. Basically, the idea does not dissolve, corrupts, and distorts the real vision of the environment in which one lives. In some cases, relationships with someone with this problem become something stressful to maintain.

It takes great effort to deal with the problem, as it becomes an absolute truth. Treatment acts gradually in order to work properly on the individual's recovery.

The prison without a wall

Despite its simplistic structure, monomania becomes a major obstacle in anyone's routine. This is because it affects their ability to interact with their environment. As an analogy, we can recall the idea of the individual who believed that everything around him was a dream and only he was real.

So imagine a monomaniac who needs to work, study, and interact with other people constantly. His paranoia takes up almost all of his attention and blurs everything else. Nothing else matters to him but confirming what he believes to be real and showing himself to be right.

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Consequently, this kind of perception ends up making you unproductive and unattractive. At work and in education, especially, your performance will drop in a sensitive and worrisome way. Here you can already see some of the most sensitive damage in your path.

Signs

Before we continue, it is important to include a qualified professional to confirm the existence of monomania. This is because it is common to have repetitive thoughts that do not harm us, but a closer look will make an in-depth evaluation In this, you will observe characteristics such as:

Unique Obsession

It seems that there is a very clear obsession in your mind that drives your way of life. Day or night such a thought continues to accompany you and instructs your actions and reactions to the world. It can range from a simple idea to something more serious and life-threatening.

Irreducible Idea

The obsession gains uncontrollable strength because the individual always feeds it and gives it more power than it should. Nothing in the world proves so capable of reducing this and shows that it can also increase in severity. In many cases, it ends up becoming commonplace that this is the only reason for its existence.

Poor sociability

Another very striking point is the way he handles his relationships on a daily basis. This also includes the inclusion of someone in your obsession, which is very toxic to both of you. Here we are working on emotional monomania, but we will deal with it later on.

You against the world

The monomaniac's obsession may end up hitting a distinct concern and developing a persistent fear. For example, if the idea that you might drown arises and someone invites you to go swimming, you will immediately reject this encounter Not to mention that he will instinctively take out on the other the internal agony he feels.

This unfortunate coincidence will lead him to distance himself from this person, who is then seen as a threat. Innocent requests become a trial by fire in which rationality has little room to act. Besides distancing himself, many end up seeing this person as an enemy for wanting to expose him to something undesirable.

Many credit monomania to an acute excess of the individual towards his survival. It is not just a mania, but rather an uncontrollable reflex to avoid any harm. His idea to be pursued becomes his only refuge so that he can better deal with his expectations.

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Clarice Falcão's monomania

Clarice Falcão is a well-known singer in the music scene for her simple, poetic, and well-structured lyrics. He follows a more alternative style, pleasing a large mass of fans by the clarity of his work Among her many hits, she sings the song Monomania toward the beloved in the song.

In short, the song speaks of the exaggerated attention that the lyrical I gives to the beloved, even though it is not equivalent. In this, he constantly seeks to demonstrate his love and receive attention, even though he knows that the other does not want this. Even so, the voice continues to sing passionately about his love against the wishes of the other who only wants peace.

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Even trying, Clarice's voice can't let go of the idea of her beloved and think of something else. Not to mention that she displays an awareness that this can hinder her development by focusing too much on the other. After all, "who's going to buy this CD about only one person"?

Examples

The following examples deal with the existing variations of monomania in a wide range of people. As you will see, the obsession in question can fit a certain profile and be categorized with its nature. We will start with the:

Instinctive monomania

This type focuses on obsession that is built upon an uncontrollable impulsiveness There is no overt delirium, but this is compensated by the lack of control of his pertinent ideas. As an example, consider an immediate aversion to the dark because he believes that great evil resides there.

Affective monomania

Here you work on your excessive attachment to someone, placing an exaggerated affection on them in your psychological part. Your feelings for someone become a fixed idea and quite compromising in your routine. With this, the only thing left is to think of someone you are interested in or dependent on at some level.

Emotional Monomania

In this case, it concentrates on focusing your attention on a specific emotion and living for it.

Homicidal monomania

Here disorder makes someone prone to commit crimes because they feel threatened by someone, basically, he nurtures the idea that a specific person will cause his death If you don't avoid it, you will feed ideas to end it once and for all, even if they are absurdly serious.

Treatment

The treatment of monomania consists of therapy to work on the individual's harmful behavior. The proposal is that the individual will gradually be able to make choices about his stance. On this path, therapy will help him to establish new guidelines in order to consciously change his behavior.

As for medication, the psychiatrist will prescribe remedies that decrease the sensations resulting from this behavior, for example, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and even tranquilizers, if necessary. The combination gradually eases the toxic signs and allows for a quality of life with more freedom.

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Final considerations about monomania

Monomania designates a limitation in which there are no walls, but still proves to be a prison Focusing on a single idea is something common to everyone, but letting it dominate you becomes a problem. Condensed obsession inhibits healthy coexistence with yourself and others.

It is necessary to condition one's own mind so that it doesn't get stuck on limitations that you don't want to exist. Even if some goals seem healthy in some points, the moment they get in the way they become an obstacle. Understand better your limitations, the reality in which you live, and how both affect your positioning with life.

To succeed in this reconditioning, enroll in our online Psychoanalysis course. Besides improving your self-knowledge, it will help you get clarity in your ideas and carefully work on your growth. Instead of focusing on an obsessive idea of monomania, you make room for constructive possibilities to arise .

I want information to enroll in the Psychoanalysis Course .

George Alvarez

George Alvarez is a renowned psychoanalyst who has been practicing for over 20 years and is highly regarded in the field. He is a sought-after speaker and has conducted numerous workshops and training programs on psychoanalysis for professionals in the mental health industry. George is also an accomplished writer and has authored several books on psychoanalysis that have received critical acclaim. George Alvarez is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and expertise with others and has created a popular blog on Online Training Course in Psychoanalysis that is widely followed by mental health professionals and students around the world. His blog provides a comprehensive training course that covers all aspects of psychoanalysis, from theory to practical applications. George is passionate about helping others and is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of his clients and students.