Are you addicted to emotions?​

Created By RISC | 2 years ago

Last modified date : 2 years ago

Addictions can involve substances like dangerous drugs, but did you know you could also be addicted to emotions? ​

We’re all born with emotions. They help us survive and build relationships. Positive and negative emotions such as happiness, sadness, or anger influence our decisions. But when positive or negative emotions become extreme, they can become addictive and harm us without our realizing it. ​

Let's look first at how negative emotions can affect us. ​

Negative emotions like fear, stress, anger, and sadness can shape survival instincts and help us avoid danger. When they’re too intense, however, they reduce our ability to make reasonable decisions and may affect our lifestyle, health, and sleep, potentially leading to drug use. Fear or anxiety can make us poor at confrontation. Stress can impair our performance. Anger makes it difficult to maintain relationships. Sadness can lead to rash decisions. ​

But what if we’re addicted to positive emotions? ​

Positive feelings like happiness and pleasure are valued because they make us feel good both physically and mentally. Shopping, gaming, eating, getting cosmetic surgery, or engaging in extreme activities may not be bad activities. But if they produce too many positive emotions by releasing brain chemicals like dopamine, they can cause addictive behaviors, leading us to waste money and harm our health, even creating a risk of death. ​

Too much positive or negative emotion can damage our daily lives, our physical and mental health, and our relationships. When we’re aware of the emotional state we’re entering, we can alter our actions or behaviors or look for a trusted person to help us change course. ​

Story by: Chirapa Horbanluekit, Communication Researcher, RISC

References ​
Mark Steinberg, Ph.D.  Emotional Addiction ​
Northbound Treatment ​