Fixation psychology refers to an intense and persistent focus on a person, idea, or object. This fixation has a significant impact on a person’s thoughts and behaviors, often without them having a conscious awareness of how much it is affecting them. 

Theories of fixation go back to Freud in the early 1900s, but the modern definition has not changed much. Fixation is still understood to limit a person’s ability to advance through later development stages, potentially shaping how they respond to the world long after the original experience occurred.

Psychoanalytic theory and fixation

"Fixation" can mean feeling stuck and not knowing how to move forward. In fixation psychology, this sense of being mentally or emotionally stuck or fixated often stems from unresolved conflicts or unmet needs.

Sigmund Freud and fixation psychology

The concept of fixation and how fixation occurs dates to Freudian research, specifically his Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality. In his research, Freud suggested that people get stuck in one stage of psychosexual development, proposing that sexual drives begin in infancy, a cornerstone of psychoanalytic theory and psychoanalysis. The psychological definition of fixation relates to having attachments to people or things that persist from childhood to adulthood. 

Freud believed that persistent fixations were due to unresolved issues in previous psychological stages of personality development. In other words, we may become preoccupied or fixated on things because we get stuck somewhere in our growth and development.

He also believed that certain stages of development were characterized by different types of fixation. For instance, the Freudian theory of both the Oedipus complex and Electra complex—where young children compete with their same-sex parent for their opposite-sex parent’s affection and may be attracted to the same kind of partner in adulthood— is based on fixation.

The psychosexual stages and fixation

Sigmund Freud theorized that fixations cause individuals to focus on energies that create pleasurable emotions at an earlier stage of psychosocial development. He believed that we must resolve an issue or conflict in one stage of development before moving on to the next stage. 

However, Freud claims that when individuals are focused on creating pleasure, they may not want to move past the fixated stage. Fixation refers to the idea that unmet needs at a particular point may prevent someone from being able to mature and focus on other energies. In other words, childhood experiences could have a significant impact on adult personality.

Freud identified three types of fixations, including the following: 

1. Oral stage
2. Anal stage
3. Phallic stage

Oral stage 

Freud stated that if someone couldn't get through an oral stage with a resolution, they would become fixated on it. The fixation could cause them to have an obsessive drive to continue to seek oral pleasures such as nail biting, gum chewing, or excessive drinking. Once they can resolve this stage, they may move on to the next stage.

Anal stage 

Freud described the second stage of psychosexual development as the anal stage. This stage may be centered on children learning to control their bowel movements. Freud surmised that people stuck in the anal stage could become anal-retentive or anal-expulsive. 

According to Freud's theory, anal retention may result from children whose primary caregivers took a harsh potty training approach. The trauma Freud believed they felt may cause them to have a persistent focus on being tidy and orderly as part of their adult personality, though this remains just a theory and not a proven cause.

If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.

On the other hand, people who are anal-expulsive may have had potty-training experiences that were lax, which turned them into adults who are messy and disorganized.

Phallic stage 

For the third stage, Freud determined that a phallic fixation was when children were apt to identify more closely with a same-sex parent. He theorized that people stuck in the phallic stage might become overly vain, conceited, pleasure-seeking, or sexually aggressive.

The psychosexual stages 

According to Freud, children need to complete one stage before moving to the next stage, or they'll become stuck. Freud also generalized fixations. He claimed that if a particular stage of psychosexual development left a dominant impression on our personality, we could develop fixations.

Examples of fixation in everyday life and cognitive psychology

Fixation is not limited only to the examples in psychoanalytic theory. It can show up in noticeable ways and have impacts on everyday life, often without the person having any conscious awareness of it.

Examples of fixation in cognitive psychology

In modern psychology, fixation can refer to the tendency to get stuck in a single approach to overcoming a problem. One example of this could be functional fixedness in problem solving, which may limit a person to seeing an object or issue only in the way it has traditionally been used or seen. Some examples of fixation in this respect can include: 

• Needing to tighten a screw without a screwdriver and failing to see that other objects, like a butter knife, dime, or nail file, can also be used to complete the job.
• Needing to hammer a nail into a wall to hang a photo without a hammer and failing to see that you can use a brick, heavy boot, or the handle of a screwdriver instead.
• As an adult, seeing a cardboard box as only something to store things rather than how a child might see it: as a spaceship, house, or car.

Fixation in relationships and trauma fixation

Fixation can also emerge in the context of relationships and trauma, when deep emotions and life-altering experiences can take hold and continue to shape daily life.

Fixation in relationships

One example of fixation in relationships can be limerence, “an overwhelming and debilitating experience involving the intense and often obsessive attachment towards a person.” It is different from a crush; limerence involves “intense feelings can persist for years, become addictive, and develop into obsessive rumination that is motivated by both doubt and hope.” 

This type of persistent focus on another person, whether they’re a former partner or someone they met in passing, can reflect the person having emotional energy that hasn’t found a way to move forward. 

Trauma fixation and rumination

Trauma fixation can occur when a person becomes fixated on the experience. Rather than integrating it into a part of a broader narrative about their life, the person returns to the traumatic event repeatedly. This type of rumination can put people at higher risk for post-traumatic stress disorder and lead to flashbacks and intrusive thoughts. The emotions attached to the experience remain raw as though no time has passed, which can make the person feel as if they are stuck.

Does fixation mean obsession? Fixation versus OCD

Fixation and obsession are often used interchangeably, but they aren’t the same thing, and it can be important to understand the distinction between them. 

A fixation can be seen as a persistent focus on something that is unresolved. It’s something that can drive a person’s behavior, often without them having any conscious awareness of it. Fixation generally develops gradually and may be tied to a specific experience or unmet need. 

Obsessions, particularly as they relate to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), are more specific. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, in OCD, obsessions are “repeated thoughts, urges, or mental images that are intrusive, unwanted, and make most people anxious.” In OCD, obsessions are often accompanied by compulsions, repetitive thoughts or behaviors that are meant to counter the anxiety they cause.

While both fixations and obsessions involve returning to the same thoughts over and over, they have different underlying factors and mechanisms and may require different treatment approaches.

Treatment for fixation

Fixation psychology suggests that the general mode of therapy is to replace invasive and unwelcome thoughts with healthier thought patterns. As a result, many treatments for fixations can involve helping an individual identify unhealthy or unhelpful thought patterns.

Psychoanalytic therapy and psychoanalysis

Psychoanalytic therapy and psychoanalysis are rooted in Freudian theory but have evolved over time. They explore how unresolved conflicts from early childhood development shape present behavior. This approach is intensive and long-term, sometimes taking years to see results, but the benefits are typically longer-lasting than other types of therapy.

Psychodynamic therapy

Psychodynamic therapy is a focused, talk-based therapy that draws on the foundations of psychoanalysis but is more oriented to the present. It explores how childhood experiences and early relational patterns continue to influence emotions and behavior today. Therapists help people work through negative experiences, process emotions, and recognize where fixation began and why it persists, without necessarily requiring years of intensive work.

CBT and skills-based approaches

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can help people identify thought patterns that are contributing to fixations and figure out how to become aware of the things that are triggering these thoughts. In CBT, people can learn skills for shifting persistent focus and help loosen the grip of fixation.

Group therapy

Group therapy offers people with fixations an opportunity to connect with other people who are having similar experiences. Many people may feel shame due to their fixations, and being able to contribute to and be accepted by a group of those who can relate can be beneficial.

When to get professional support 

Some signs that you should seek support for fixations can include: 

• You are having thoughts that feel impossible to stop or redirect. 
• Your sleep, work, or everyday life is affected. 
• You are having emotional responses that feel disproportionate or don’t progress or resolve.
• You keep repeating the same patterns despite genuinely wanting to change. 
• You turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms, like substance use or social withdrawal, to manage your fixations.
• You are experiencing feelings of shame or hopelessness.

If you are experiencing intrusive or distressing thoughts that make you worry about your safety or the safety of others, if your fixation on another person feels out of control, or if you are also experiencing flashbacks, dissociation, or other trauma responses, consider seeking emergency care.

Online therapy

An online therapist can assist in gaining clarity on where fixations stem from and how to overcome signs of fixation. Receiving professional support online for psychological care has even been beneficial in treating anxiety disorders and depression, according to a 2020 study.

Internet-based therapy may have several advantages for participants. One benefit is that it can be an easily available form of mental health care. Another benefit is that online therapy is typically more affordable than traditional, in-person therapy.

Online platforms such as BetterHelp can connect you with licensed professionals. When matched with a therapist, you can partake in phone and video calling and messaging.