My husband’s unhealthy obsession is arguing with our electricity company

DEAR DEIDRE: Our electricity provider has become my husband’s unhealthy obsession.

He spends hours researching the company and its employees online.
If I suggest changing companies, he becomes argumentative and insists our current provider is good.

He’s completely missing the point.

I am 42, my husband is 44 and we have been married for ten years.

This behaviour started during lockdown.

He would spend hours on their website and watching ads about them.

It was worse than some people’s obsession with their phones.

This company is the lowest-rated in polls for customer satisfaction, but my husband seems to have been taken in by its flashy big-budget advertising.

His behaviour is odd but he has no medical condition to explain it.

It’s not funny but he can’t seem to understand.

DEIDRE SAYS: Your husband needs to understand that this is more than a just a minor irritant to you.

Obsessive behaviour can be an early warning sign that something else is wrong.

It can often be about wanting to be in control.

If he felt vulnerable during lockdown this may explain it.

Can you think back to what his mental state was like then?

For some people an obsession might start due to anxiety.

I would suggest he makes an appointment to see his GP.

My support pack Overcoming Obsessions may help too.