Compulsive behaviors

Athletic Bulimia and Asshole Slogans

by Bill Brenner September 16, 2013 Compulsive behaviors

As someone who has struggled with both compulsive behavior and binge eating, a blog post from Pilates instructor, movement therapist and martial artist Kevin Moore called “The 6 Most Shockingly Irresponsible ‘Fitspiration’ Photos” strikes a big chord with me. Moore takes aim at the advertisers who put out photos of rail-thin men and women with six-pack abs with messages suggesting you’re inferior, even pathetic, unless you find a way to get ripped. Number three especially…  [Read More]

Latest Obsession: Whitey Bulger

by Bill Brenner September 4, 2013 Compulsive behaviors

I’ve written previously about how my OCD gives me the tendency to latch onto certain subjects and research them obsessively. Examples include the history of the Manson and Amityville murder cases, to the point of getting a closer look at sites related to those cases. I’ve always considered this obsession harmless. It makes me read a lot of books on the subjects and visit places when the travel schedule permits, but what’s wrong with that?…  [Read More]

Think Before You Talk About Your ‘OCD’

by Bill Brenner September 3, 2013 Compulsive behaviors

People often ask me if I get offended by jokes and movies about OCD. The answer is usually no, because I think it’s healthy to see the humor in one’s afflictions, and the movies, when done right, educate the masses on what it’s like to suffer from this scourge. But one thing does piss me off. It’s when people say they “went OCD” after doing such routine tasks as cleaning their house, cooking or completing a…  [Read More]

Waiting Is the Hardest Part

by Bill Brenner June 18, 2013 Compulsive behaviors

One of my biggest struggles has always been impatience. I hate waiting, whether it’s being stuck in a long line at Starbucks or getting adjusted to life’s changes. Since I recently started a new job, the challenge has grown particularly steep in recent weeks. Mood music: It’s all good, really; I’m enjoying the new job. But I’m always obsessed about where I want to be in the process, and that has made for a world…  [Read More]

Look Out Honey, ‘Cause I’m Using Technology

by Bill Brenner June 7, 2013 Compulsive behaviors

It’s a miracle I’ve survived a decade of writing about information security in my day job, considering how technologically inept I can be. As I try to set up a new analytics tool for this blog, get accustomed to the daily use of Skype and install work email on my Android, I find that my OCD is off the charts. I keep hearing this in my head: “Look out honey, ’cause I’m using technology! Ain’t…  [Read More]

The Burden of Being Upright

by Bill Brenner May 13, 2013 Compulsive behaviors

A couple facts about the last few months: I made it through the winter more mentally intact than I have in a long time. I also went through a lot of uncertainty over the future of my career, which exhausted me enough to behave in spring as I normally do in winter: scattered, aloof and depressed. Things have actually turned out well. I got the job I coveted the most after fielding a couple other…  [Read More]

Cannibal Cop’s Morbid Fantasy Crossed the Line

by Bill Brenner March 13, 2013 Compulsive behaviors

The New York Times published a story about the conviction of Gilberto Valle, a police officer who apparently plotted to kidnap, torture and eat several women. He never actually abducted or killed anyone. It was mostly talk in seedy online chat rooms. Which begs the question: Should a person be tried and jailed for dark thoughts that percolate in the mind? Mood music: [spotify:track:54YmspVxT9aeIxQ7YvG9Or] Valle’s trial highlighted some of the darkest corners of cyberspace, where, as the NYT noted, “fetishists hide behind…  [Read More]

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