Obsessive Thoughts About Hunting

Reader’s Question

I am sure this is different than what you usually get as questions, but I need it answered since I haven’t had any luck looking it up on Google or any other site. What I am wondering is:

Is there a specific psychological condition that causes me to want to hunt? I know this may sound crazy and all but it seems like whenever I have nice fresh meat, that neediness for it goes down. I’ve never hunted in my life before but I imagine myself doing it, sometimes to the point of obsession. The sight of blood or even the mere mention of it can make me go into that hunting mode so I am wondering if it’s a psychosis or if it’s something else entirely. It also causes me to think of people in a different way than what anyone else would. This is not in any way a prank e-mail, I am serious on this so I am just wondering on it.

So could you please tell me about it? Sorry I can’t give more info since I am not exactly that great at describing things, but that’s the best I can do.

– Disturbed in USA

Our Consulting Clinical Psychologist’s Reply

The fact that you have never hunted and your report that it causes you to think of people in a different way makes your situation psychological rather than cultural. You hinted at the psychological cause for the condition in your question.

Most likely, this is an obsessive thought, a symptom commonly found in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and/or depression. Obsessive thoughts are:

• uncharacteristic of the individual (you don’t hunt!),
• are intrusive into normal thought processes,
• increase and decrease with our stress level,
• create emotional distress in the individual,
• can be reduced by some type of action or ritual, and
• often produce additional uncomfortable thoughts.

If this is part of an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, you will have additional symptoms that might include rituals, counting, phobic reactions, etc.

Obsessive thoughts can also surface when we become depressed. Depression appears directly linked to low levels of the neurotransmitter Serotonin (and others). Low Serotonin is also associated with OCD, eating disorders, and several other psychiatric conditions. As people become depressed, a certain percentage of them will experience OCD symptoms. These symptoms will appear suddenly and seem very strange to the individual. If depression is producing the obsessive thought — you will have additional symptoms associated with depression such as fatigue, sleep/appetite changes, sadness, high stress level, etc.

If you are experiencing the physical effects of OCD or depression, I would recommend consulting with a psychiatrist. The obsessive thoughts can increase in intensity and become tormenting. At the level of intensity you describe, obsessive thoughts can be easily treated.