Obsession and Difficulty in Choosing

Entanglement disorder and choice difficulty disorder are different expressions of the same psychological phenomenon, referring to individuals experiencing excessive hesitation, repeated weighing, and even anxiety when faced with choices. This phenomenon may be related to factors such as personality traits, cognitive patterns, and environmental stress.

1. Personality traits

Pursuing a perfect personality is more likely to lead to difficulties in making choices. These individuals often have high expectations for decision-making outcomes and worry about the consequences of making wrong choices. Introverted and sensitive individuals may also become entangled due to overthinking, and they tend to repeatedly analyze the potential impact of each option.

2. Cognitive bias

Loss aversion psychology amplifies the fear of making wrong choices, making it difficult for people to give up any options. Overly generalized thinking patterns can catastrophize the outcome of a single choice, believing that a decision will affect the entire life trajectory, and this cognitive distortion can exacerbate decision-making pressure.

3. Information overload

The number of choices provided by modern society far exceeds the processing capacity of the human brain. When faced with a massive number of options, the brain's decision-making system is prone to overload, leading to decision fatigue. In this situation, people may adopt avoidance or procrastination strategies to cope with choice pressure.

4. Anxiety

Patients with generalized anxiety disorder often have decision-making difficulties and a lower tolerance for uncertainty. Choice anxiety in specific contexts may also be triggered, such as during major life decisions, where this temporary anxiety response can interfere with normal decision-making abilities.

5. Growth Experience

Individuals who are overly controlled during childhood may lack decision-making exercise and are prone to relying on others' opinions in adulthood. The experience of being severely punished for making wrong choices can also create a psychological shadow, leading to pathological caution when making choices in the future. Improving decision-making difficulties requires systematic psychological adjustment, including cognitive behavioral training, decision-making skills exercises, and emotional management. It is recommended to start building confidence from daily small decisions, using methods such as limiting decision-making time and setting selection criteria to reduce decision-making pressure. Regular exercise can help alleviate anxiety, and the omega-3 fatty acids in the Mediterranean diet may have a positive impact on brain decision-making function. When difficulties in decision-making seriously affect one's life, it is recommended to seek professional psychological counseling or cognitive-behavioral therapy.