Fixation: meaning, definitions and examples

Often used to refer to an intense and unhealthy focus on a particular object or idea, typically in psychology or casual conversation. It can sometimes imply an inability to think of anything else.

• His fixation on being the best in his class was starting to affect his health
• Jane has a strange fixation with collecting antique clocks

Primarily used in psychology and everyday speech to describe a persistent and often intrusive thought, feeling, or desire that dominates a person's mind. It usually signals anxiety or excessive preoccupation.

• He's developed an obsession with finding the perfect diet plan
• Her obsession with social media is affecting her real-life relationships

This word is majorly utilized in a psychological context to describe a strong, often uncontrollable urge to perform certain actions, usually repetitive. It has a negative connotation indicating discomfort or distress.

• He felt a compulsion to check the locks on the door multiple times before going to bed
• Her compulsion to clean the house every day exhausted her

Fixation can also refer to the process or act of holding something firmly in place, often in a medical or technical sense.

• The surgeon ensured proper fixation of the bone with screws.
• The optical device requires fixation of the lens to maintain clarity.

Stabilization is often used in contexts where something is made stable or steady, such as in finance, construction, or medical treatment. It focuses on preventing changes or instability.

• Economic stabilization policies are crucial during a recession.
• The rehabilitation program is aimed at stabilization of the patient's condition after surgery.

Immobilization is mostly used in medical or technical contexts to describe keeping something or someone from moving. It’s common in healthcare, especially in treating injuries.

• After the car accident, his leg required immobilization with a cast.
• Due to the injury, the doctor recommended immobilization of her arm.