Editor: Xiao Bei, information reference from "The Invitation of Psychology"
Source: Peking University Press (pku-press)
Do you also often emo?
Since the "emo" was on fire, its use is not extensive. As small as dropping something, "the collapse of adults is only in an instant", as large as the breakup of love, career and academic failure.
In the past, Weibo's 140 words were not enough to write the emotions, but now it is all gathered into a late-night sigh - "I am emo".
However, is the emotion behind emo really that simple?
If your friend is constantly emo, how do you as a friend judge whether it is just a normal mood swing or a mental disorder that requires medical treatment? When all sorts of moods similar to mourning or depression are reduced to "emo", is the person getting emotional relief in this catharsis, or is it ignored to a greater extent?
In fact, people's psychological state is not only happy and unhappy, but more like a continuous spectrum, intricate and rich in connotation.
01
Your EMO may be a psychological disorder
People always have to have some "net cloud suppression moments", but if the state of mourning continues unabated, nothing can be done to raise interest, and even there is an inexplicable psychological discomfort, we must pay enough attention to our own state of mind!
We often see some "abnormal" behavior of ourselves or others as a sign of a psychological disorder. While many people confuse abnormalities (i.e., behaviors that deviate from the norm) with psychological disorders, the two are actually different. A person may have some strange behavior, but this does not mean that he has "psychological problems.".
In fact, the identification of psychological disorders is not as direct as that of physical disorders such as diabetes and appendicitis, and we must take into account genetic and social factors.
A person who breaks the mold may be a "psychopath" or a genius, and in this sense, the diagnosis of psychological disorders confirms the phrase "genius is on the left, madman is on the right." The diagnosis of psychological problems is largely social and relative, which seems to be contrary to people's intuition.
In a social and genetic context, a major definition of a psychological disorder is a harmful functional disorder. This includes:
First, behaviors and emotional states that are harmful to oneself or others;
Second, behavioral and emotional states do not exhibit evolutionary function, but rather dysfunction.
02
Manifestations of psychological disorders
When it comes to psychological disorders, many people may have no concept at all, but when it comes to the specific phenomena in them, it is likely that you will have a feeling of being so, and the emphasis on ideological understanding is the premise of facing and solving.
1) Anxiety disorders
Anxiety disorder, for example, is a natural emotion in itself, and anyone waiting for important information or living in an unpredictable environment will obviously feel anxious, and this anxiety can provide the energy to cope with danger.
But sometimes anxiety and real danger are separated, or when the danger and uncertainty have passed and these emotions persist, it can lead to chronic anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and so on.
PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), which is often on the lips of contemporary people, is actually a very serious stress symptom, which refers to experiencing crisis and trauma, producing symptoms including insomnia and irritability and lasting for a month or more, so that it begins to damage individual function.
And social phobia, in fact, may not be just a joke, but a real form more serious than occasional shyness and social anxiety. For this type of person, the mere thought of being in a new environment with a stranger may be enough to cause sweating, trembling, dizziness, and a strong sense of inferiority.
Bird Bird performs "Social Terror" at "Talk Show Convention"
2) Depression
For example, as the pace of life accelerates and social stress becomes more common, the well-known depression (MDD) is also a common mood disorder.
It is mainly manifested by symptoms such as low mood, decreased interest, slow thinking, and poor diet and sleep.
Major depression involves severe emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and physiological changes that disrupt an individual's normal functioning and persist for at least two weeks. Some conditions can last up to twenty weeks, lessen, and then recur.
People with major depressive disorder feel hopeless and meaningless. They feel unable to get out of bed and do things, and even get dressed. They may overeat or stop eating, have trouble falling asleep or sleeping all night, have difficulty concentrating, always feel tired, and no longer be interested in activities that could have been fulfilling and enjoyable in the past.
The causes of depression are complex, and one of the most difficult things to understand is that many people who have had an unfortunate experience do not suffer from depression, and many people who suffer from depression do not have an unfortunate experience.
As a result, most researchers emphasize the vulnerability-stress model of depression, in which an individual's susceptibility (genetic predisposition, personality traits, or habits of thought) interacts with stressful life events (e.g., violence, death of a loved one, unemployment), leading to most major depressions.
1) The first is genetic factors. Major depression is a moderate genetic disorder, and in some cases it must be genetically functioning;
2) Second, violence, physical abuse in childhood, and neglect by parents, one of the environmental factors particularly associated with depression is repeated experience of violence. Adolescents in inland cities with high rates of violence have higher levels of depression and more suicide attempts than those who do not have sustained violence in their lives or communities;
3) Loss of important relationships. Other surveys highlight that loss of vital relationships triggers depression in susceptible people;
4) Cognitive habits. Finally, depression is also related to the specific, negative way in which individuals think about their situation;
Everything has cause and effect, and when we really understand depression, we will find that it is not terrible. A state of depression is a signal that our mind sends to ourselves to take good care of our own psyche and spirit.
However, for most people, emo is often not necessarily suffering from depression or other psychological disorders, perhaps you are just a typical representative of "highly sensitive people".
03
"EMO" people may be highly sensitive
"Highly sensitive constitution " ( HSP ) is not a disease or state , but a relatively stable and long-lasting personality trait , also known in academia as "sensory processing sensitivity " ( SPS ) .
In 1997, psychologist Dr. Elaine Aron first proposed the concept of HSP (and she herself is an HSP). She and her colleagues summarized the general commonalities of HSPs with 4 "DOES":
1) Depth of processing: Deep processing information
2) Overstimulation: Easy to be overstimulated
3）Emotional responsivity/empathy ：
There are greater reactions to positive/negative things
4) Sensitive to subtleties: Perceive subtleties
Aron's team also developed an HSP scale. If you answered "yes" to more than 14 of all 27 questions, you might be an HSP.
2) What are the characteristics of highly sensitive people?
1. Unusual sensitivity to sounds/smells/smells, etc., sirens or construction noises may "make you feel like a nail is hitting your head". Crowds of people and strong smells can make you particularly uncomfortable;
2. Have a high "fright reflex", easy to be frightened by a little sound/sneak attack, so suspect that they have "neurasthenia";
3. Often misunderstood. Evaluated by adults as "shy and introverted", accused of being "neurotic and thinking too much";
4. Like an emotional sponge, it tends to "absorb and empathize" with the feelings of others, and is often exhausted; it is afraid of pain and sensitive to central stimulants such as caffeine;
5. Strong insight, good at finding subtleties that others may overlook, such as expressions, body language, etc.;
6. It takes a lot of time to be alone. At the end of a long day, you need to stay in a quiet room on your own, reduce the stimulation, and recharge yourself;
7. Very avoidance of conflict. When there is tension or disagreement in an intimate relationship, you tend to avoid and may even feel physically unwell during the conflict;
8. You think deeply. Habit of deep processing of information and a lot of reflection on their own experiences (more than others), but also prone to negative overthinking;
9. Dislike any form of violence and cruelty, even in works of art;
10. It is easy to immerse yourself in works of art such as movies and be deeply impressed;
11. When hungry, it will become irritable and have greater mood swings;
12. Have a rich inner world. You may have a few imaginary friends who like to fantasize and daydream;
13. You build a lot of small routines throughout the day, because familiar things bring comfort;
14. Sometimes criticism is like a dagger to you. The words of other people's evaluations are very important, and negative emotions seem to affect you more deeply.
How is a highly sensitive personality formed? How do we say goodbye to Emo?