Obsession refers to the need to understand and master a topic or a task.
Neurotypical high performers obsess over their field of choice, pouring hours of research, practice, and discussion into their craft. They don’t need an incentive or reward to commit to their work. Instead, they feel an intrinsic need to learn as much as they can and put their understanding into practice.
For neurodivergent people, this form of internal motivation can easily slip into hyperfocus. The brain starts releasing dopamine and sending off signals of pleasure and reward that compensate for deficient reward system. The more they are engrossed in such activities, the greater the dopamine boost — and the easier it becomes to stay on such tasks – but it can also mean getting stuck in the topic to the exclusion of other tasks because the dopamine release makes this task engaging/satisfying/enjoyable.