One of the traits of the geek lifestyle is obsessive behavior. Obsessing over the 8 bit magic of the original Nintendo system or discussing the troubled childhood of Spock because of his mixed heritage, (Vulcan and Human) can seem normal to you, but might strike others as a bit odd.
That same obsessiveness that is so adorable when you are listing all the reasons why iPhones suck, can carry over into some dark places. Overspending, drug and alcohol abuse, antisocial behaviors can all be one step away for the obsessive type.
Spending
Obsessively collecting memorabilia or collecting at all can be expensive. The objects of the collection don’t have to be expensive individually, but the sum total of the acquisitions can be expensive based on the volume. Cards alone are pretty cheap. Buying thousands, in search of one, cranks up the cost.
Online games are designed to pressure the obsessive type by creating a sense of urgency and a sense of need. You need fruit, parts, etc. in order to advance. One dollar becomes five, then ten, then, before you know it you’re spending a hundred bucks a month on Clash of Clans to maintain and grow your fortresses!
If you are in any sort of relationship, there is going to be trouble because of your spending. Rents will get missed, bills not paid, stuff is going to get sold. Lying and hiding can come out of this, and eventually, relationships get broken.
Alcohol and Narcotics
Obsessiveness can lead to or be caused by pain. That same pain can lead to using. Using alcohol or drugs to dull or desensitize oneself is abuse. When you mix the obsessive behavior characteristic with an addictive substance, you’re throwing gas on a smoldering campfire. When it blows up, the combination can be fatal. That OCD can become a raging addiction that could cost you your job or your family. If you have to enter into a recovery center, it could cost you thousands in lost wages. It could become so severe that it could cost you your life.
Anti-Social Behaviors
A distinct lack of social grace is one of the more comical parts of geekdom to the outsider. Watching spats over how to correctly swing a broadsword or what type of chain mail is historically accurate for the particular period of English history is entertaining to some, but exceptionally frustrating for others.
Egocentricity, bullheadedness, victimization, isolation, social unawareness, depression, and aggressiveness are just a handful of the anti-social behaviors that can develop and be nurtured by the obsessive type.
How right you are, how you are being cheated, how you smell, why you suck, how the world should die because of its total stupidity, are all outpourings of obsessiveness gone wrong.
Sadly each can and does lead to the other, spending to drinking, drinking to behavior issues. These characteristics can and do separate one from normal society, quite often causing a spiraling effect in the life of the affected. So keep an eye out for your brother or sister in geekdom. Watch out for them and help them stay safe.
