I never thought it would come to this, but it has. I need help getting over an intense celebrity crush. At first it started out with only mild interest, but over the last two months it escalated into an obsession. It's debilitating and making me depressed. Any advice?
Not sure - I guess to start, what kinds of interactions with this celebrity do you have, and what sort of payback do you get from feeding the obsession - i.e., why and how does it make you feel good? Can you be more specific about how it's "debilitating"?
It's just that he seems so perfect, then I realize that I can't have him, then I get depressed. Like, characteristics of the severe depression I had a few years ago. I don't even know. It's distorting my thoughts to the point where I think about him almost all the time. Then I just feel so sad and angry that I probably won't ever meet him.. I don't know, I'm probably just crazy.
Well, one thing to keep in mind is that celebrity reputations are built to make you think they're perfect - if you didn't, nobody would be a fan. So there are probably a lot of things about this person that you don't know that might very well turn you off if, somehow, you were able to meet them in a genuine, face-to-face, personal setting. My thing has always been that, while celebrity life seems incredible, these people give up a LOT of things to pursue the career they do - years of their lives, time with family and loved ones, etc., things that I, myself, would not give up, even if I was in their place and had the option. I don't know who exactly you're focusing on, and it's different in each case, but keep in mind the choices they are making in their lives, especially behind the scenes - are they genuinely someone you want to emulate? Plus, even if he does happen to be a great guy, put himself in your shoes. If someone came up to you whom you'd never met before and started gushing compliments at you, it might be flattering, but your initial reaction would probably be along the lines of "who is this person and why are they so interested in me? I've never heard of them in my life." Which is not to say that celebrities secretly hate all their fans, but it's not a substitute for a genuine emotional relationship - whether friendship, love, or otherwise. Can you describe the depression you had a few years ago? Was it diagnosed? What characterized it? Was it triggered by anything? Just curious, since it sounds like you believe it's linked to the current situation. Sorry if I'm saying anything obtuse or stereotypical - just trying to feel my way through the situation.
