Living in my head rent free

QUITE a few artistes, including American rapper Russ, have penned songs using the expression “living rent free in [their] heads”, to reflect the phenomenon where someone obsesses over someone else so much, that they become a fixture in their thoughts.

It’s usually used to denote how a person’s enemies use a lot of their time to try to bring them down, but there are other instances where people live, or allow other people to live rent free in their heads, often to their detriment.

Who is that person who you’ve allowed to consume your thoughts, to live rent free in your head, and no matter what you do you can’t get them out?

Eric, 45:

I can’t stand my son’s mother. My son is 12 and we’ve both remarried, but I can’t stop hating her, because for a long time she was so bitter that I cheated, that she kept my son away from me for years, made me pay millions in lawyers’ and court fees to try to see him (I even had to remortgage my house to afford court costs), and then after we finally came to an agreement for visitation and child support, she took me back to court to garnish my wages. She claims that she’s now a Christian, but I cannot help the hate each time I see her or hear her name.

Leigh-ann, 30:

My ex. It’s been five years, and I’ve been married for three years, but I obsess over the fact that I gave this simple boy a chance after he begged, entered a relationship with him against my better judgement, and then he dumped me. I also behaved quite badly after he did that because how dare he be the one to dump me, and I acted in quite the unladylike manner over this man, who wasn’t even on my level. I just can’t seem to forget what happened, and everytime I think about it I get embarrassed.

Lichelle, 37:

My first true love continues to hold my heart, 20 years later. We’re both married now, and have kids, but I dream about him all the time. I didn’t realise at the time that he was the perfect guy, and no man, including my husband, has been able to make me feel the way he did.

Donaleigh, 27:

That would be my former boss. I hate the woman with a passion, and in my dreams I plan her demise. She was a witch who made me work long hours every single day of the week, insulted me endlessly, refused to sign the invoices so I could get paid, refused to allow me time off to attend my relative’s funeral, and to add insult to injury, when I finally had a panic attack and resigned to save my sanity, I thought I had got rid of her, but apparently she found out where I was working and called my new employer and tried to tarnish my name. Luckily, my employer knew of her, and knew she was evil.

Janice, 32:

The woman my ex married. We lived together for four years, and that whole time he said he wasn’t ready for marriage. I got baptised and the common-law thing wasn’t working anymore, so I spoke to my pastor and was advised to end the relationship. Within three months my ex was with someone else, and in less than a year they were married. Truth be told, she’s a nice lady, but I just can’t help comparing, wondering what she had that I didn’t, and even hating on her sometimes. The worst thing is having my daughter come back from their house and sing her praises. That stings!