Celebrity worship syndrome and your interest in Gaga

[Katie14 4,828]

Please only read and post in this thread if you are going to take this seriously

I was doing research for a class and came across this "syndrome" called celebrity worship syndrome. Some quotes from the article:

"There are an increasing number of us for whom the fascination with celebrities is a substitution for real life -- with the focus on a celebrity replacing the focus that should be on our own lives. And that, he says, is the point at which some folks begin to get into trouble.

Depression, anxiety, and a decrease in self-esteem are just some of the documented problems that can result when we take the focus off our own lives and instead focus all our energy on the life of a celebrity....

psychologists established a "sliding scale" of celebrity worship -- one in which the devoted fan becomes increasingly hooked into the object of their attention, until their feelings begin to resemble addiction.

 

In another study with more than 600 people, psychologists found that about a third qualified for a condition they coined "celebrity worship syndrome" -- a condition wherein, at its most severe, the object of our worship becomes the central figure in our lives.

Information about the celebrity, or any little thing from their life, is like a fix the worshipper must have -- they are almost compelled to learn more, read more, know more. And it's nonending," says Long Island, N.Y. psychologist Abby Aronowitz, PhD. Experts say some even begin to believe they have some special connection to the celebrity.

Not surprisingly, the study also found feverish fans are likelier to suffer from anxiety, depression, and social dysfunction. And while the authors are clear on the fact that being a fan does not cause you to be dysfunctional, they say it can certainly increase your risk.

A lot of these people who fall deeply into celebrity worship are just abnormal pathology waiting to happen. The fact that it comes out in the form of idolization of a particular celebrity is less important than recognizing the pathology was there all along. And if it was not focused on a celebrity it would be focused on something else, but it would still be there."

Full Article:

http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/new-age-celebrity-worship#1

I'm wondering if anyone has thought of your interest/obsession with Gaga or any other celebrity as some type of disorder or as a symptom of anxiety or depression.

I don't relate to everything in this article but some of it does resonate with me. I do think celebrity interest is similar to an addiction. Myself, and probably most of us on here, check this site multiple times a day, and get excited when new material about her or from her pops up. I definitely spend a lot of time reading about her and making sure I listen to every interview, watch every performance, ect. But I love doing all that, so I don't feel like that is necessarily a problem or a waste of time.

I am however kind of disturbed by how much I think of Gaga during the day. For instance, even if im fully occupied with friends or working on a project, I still wonder what Gaga is up to, especially if she is performing or releasing material that day. I mean, is it weird to prefer to stay home when a new Gaga video is being release so I can discuss and read reactions online instead of hanging out with friends who have no interest in Gaga? I do wonder, if my interest in Gaga is a maladaptive coping strategy stemming from this innate anxiety and sadness that I feel. My interest started at a time when I was really depressed.  I definitely escaped from reality by focusing a lot of my attention on Gaga. I used and still use her as a coping mechanism. I find Gaga to be very comforting and I do get this sense that I don't have to fully feel negative emotions because I know there is always this distraction or safe place in this Gaga reality.

Im not trying to say that celebrity obsession is always harmful. I have learned a lot about myself through following Gaga's career. I am inspired by her and I believe I have become a more confidant person by listening to her messages and music. She also helped me to appreciate art, especially performance art, and the beauty of being different and breaking social norms. 

I am very ashamed of my intense interest in her. This has nothing to do with Gaga.  I would be embarrassed to be obsessed with any person. I do wonder if that feeling does more harm than all of the good that I have gained from her. I also wonder if it is bad that my interest in her is preventing me from fully experiencing negative feelings (which are necessary to be motivated to progress) and masking my anxiety (and thereby preventing me from actually overcoming it). I guess I already know the answer but I don't know how to stop being so obsessed. I would never tell anyone this, even a therapist, so I would need to stop on my own. 

Can anyone relate?

Edit: Also, I posted a poll a few weeks ago asking if any members have diagnosed mental health problems. Something like 90% of members had at least one (there was an option to chose none). It could be that members with mental health issues are more likely to click on that thread but I do think that overall, members on here have a higher than normal rate of mental disorders. 

[Fingerella 3,170]

I think the fans who keeps posting about Gaga thoughts can relate to this one.

[Morphine Prince 96,140]

From years of following Gaga I honestly think some people in this fanbase have this. 

Some people take this way too seriously to the point it seems like an obsession. 

I think there's a line to cross from healthy fandom to actual emotional NEED. 

 

[Jinzo 9,618]

yes

"Depression, anxiety, and a decrease in self-esteem are just some of the documented problems that can result when we take the focus off our own lives and instead focus all our energy on the life of a celebrity...."

this is me tbh  that's why i wanted Joanne to have a hit Single to boost my confidence which is quite pathetic, but i'm working on being a better person every day 

[Katie14 4,828]

Just now, Morphine Prince said:

From years of following Gaga I honestly think some people in this fanbase have this. 

Some people take this way too seriously to the point it seems like an obsession. 

I think there's a line to cross from healthy fandom to actual emotional NEED. 

 

I agree. I think a lot of us feel a deeper than normal sense of pride when Gaga does well and feel so attached to her that when she "flops" many fans feel like they are failures in some way. 

[RitaOral 1,322]

I think this is true for people who are obsessed to the point where they will want to stalk a celebrities family/friends etc etc. 

[OBEY 57,107]

4 minutes ago, Morphine Prince said:

From years of following Gaga I honestly think some people in this fanbase have this. 

Some people take this way too seriously to the point it seems like an obsession. 

I think there's a line to cross from healthy fandom to actual emotional NEED. 

 

This is true. I really feel like some GGD members' whole day would get ruined by something Gaga does.

As an example, when Million Reasons video was released, i was dissapointed even though i didnt expect much, and like, for 10 mins i talked about it with my friends on the GGD group but after that, rest of my day went on and i had a great one. I feel like, for some people, a "bad gaga news" can ruin their whole day and i find that totally excessive because, she is a celebrity, most of them never met her in real life, never talked to her, your life overall has more to offer than a bad video/performance etc  

[Modern Ecstacy 3,808]

I think I can relate . I've suffered from Depression/ Anxiety plus other disorders for years. I've had obsessive feeling for celebrities like Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj and now Lady Gaga. Listening to songs, watching videos, interviews, thinking about them constantly etc. But I'm not so sure if my mental disorders have anything to do with my obsession with my idol. However reading this makes me wonder if there is some sort of correlation...

[Dominic 11,922]

We're all guilty of it. We're on a celebrity fan-site 

[sipthistea 21,099]

Well, to me this is mostly a hobby. I check in here to discuss things about our favourite artist, and it's actually fun.

But it shouldn't be too serious, it's someone most of us don't even know. She's living her life, and we should do the same. It's more important to be focused on our future than the future of someone else. 

[prince 4,688]

i'm basically writing my dissertation on this lol even Gagadailys in it

[littlepotter 72,847]

27 minutes ago, Katie14 said:

Experts say some even begin to believe they have some special connection to the celebrity.

Can the fans be blamed in the case where the celebrity spent an entire album era promoting a 'special connection' with fans? 

We all know the fans who criticize her the most, most commonly known as 'little managers', are those she 'breeded' during the Born This Way era. They can't let go of that connection she promised and then kind of gave up.

[Mr Judas 4,106]

6 minutes ago, sipthistea said:

Well, to me this is mostly a hobby. I check in here to discuss things about our favourite artist, and it's actually fun.

But it shouldn't be too serious, it's someone most of us don't even know. She's living her life, and we should do the same. It's more important to be focused on our future than the future of someone else. 

This is me. 

I second this.

[gagu 1,928]

I'm not obsessed with Gaga's (or Lana's) life, I mean I never check the chart thread, I don't care how much she sells, of course I'm very happy if she attains something, if she flops it can sadden me a bit, like the fact she's underrated and misjudged, but it's no big deal (I have so many issues on my own, I can't be bother even by those things even if I want to ). 

The problem is that a lot of people here take things too seriously, they always make comparisons and complain for nothing..

[Katie14 4,828]

6 minutes ago, littlepotter said:

Can the fans be blamed in the case where the celebrity spent an entire album era promoting a 'special connection' with fans? 

We all know the fans who criticize her the most, most commonly known as 'little managers', are those she 'breeded' during the Born This Way era. They can't let go of that connection she promised and then kind of gave up.

I agree. Gaga definitely fed into this unhealthy obsession. I remember in 2011 I made a thread about this. I think the title was, "Is Gaga as obsessed with us as we are of her?".