This may sound odd, but I had a car that recently broke down and I was very attached to it. By attached I mean he had a gender, a name and a personality. It was object personification similar to that found in children with their imaginary friends. I thought of this car as a companion and I used to talk to him at length about my problems and I'd go and park at the river and just sit with him for a long time. I spent a lot of time not even driving that car, just being with him and talking to him. I have an anxiety disorder and when I used to get upset and/or have panic attacks that car was the first place I'd go to for support and I would just hug the steering wheel until I calmed down.
Approximately two months ago, I took him in for registration and he failed due a large list of reasons, the repairs costing upwards of $1500. He only cost $700 to begin with, and therefore had to be written off. I had to buy a new car (I am not attached to this one) That day I was so distraught, as if somebody close to me had died, because that's how it felt. I feel guilty as though he was like a sick human, and instead of paying for his treatment I just let him die and got a new friend. It has been two and a half months now and I haven't had to courage to call the tow truck to take him away, I'm still keeping him there and every time I look at him I feel very upset. I cried every single day for about a month after he was written off. Nobody can understand because to them it's "just a car". I'm not sure that this over-attachment to an inanimate object is normal or healthy. I never had any imaginary friends as a child and generally have a very strong hold to reality and don't usually personify objects. Why might this have occurred? Is something wrong with me?