"Obsessed" helped us see what people really go through when they do have this illness. These people are putting their lives in danger and seriously missing out on the most important things in life, because their illness is hurting them or taking up too much of their time. The series is back June 28, with a whole new group of patients who need help. But, will you feel like returning? I appreciate the tone of these shows, but they can border on being excessively dark at times.
The first case with Sharon is pretty typical. It's a woman taking a traumatical event and using it as a reason to build her rituals. Sharon's mother is slowly dying from Ovarian cancer, which leads Sharon to try and exert control over it. By collecting, repeating and perfecting certain tasks...Sharon believes that she can keep the cancer from overcoming her mother. It's quite sad and it leads me to wonder if A&E could try and distance themselves during these longer shoots. The depth in which the audience delves into Sharon's misery is almost too much.
It's hard to watch the featured patients being trapped by their own anxieties, especially when their loved ones (including children) are shown trying to understand these extreme behaviors. These scenes are a little voyeuristic, but they also underscore the desperation and loneliness felt by the people who suffer from these disorders. If you know know someone with any of these problems, be the hero in their life. Help them reach out for help.
WHEN DOES IT AIR?
Catch it on A&E Mondays at 10/9C!
