Plural of fixation; intense focuses on something, or in psychology, emotional or psychological blocks from unresolved issues.
From fixation (noun form of fixate) plus -s plural. The psychological meaning comes from Freudian theory about developmental stages.
Freud called them 'fixations' because he theorized that if you got stuck at an early developmental stage—like a wheel stuck in mud—you'd carry that psychological pattern forever, which is why the word sounds so negative.
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