There are six 'basic' emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear and disgust. I'm sure you'll have felt all of these at some time. There are also more complicated emotions, like pride, guilt and shame, which you've also probably experienced. We all have emotions and we all experience emotions differently. For instance, I myself experience the emotion 'anxiety' (which is kind of like a complicated mash-up of fear and apprehension about the future) a lot, whereas other people do not. Some people experience sadness a lot more than other people, and if this is coupled with feelings of intense guilt, trouble sleeping and other symptoms like not eating enough/eating too much, then a person might have what's known as depression. This is a mental illness in the category of mood disorders. Mood disorders are basically what it says on the tin; where a person experiences emotions in an abnormal way that makes life difficult for them. Someone with Bipolar Disorder, for example, experiences depressive episodes like someone with depression, but they also experience what's called 'manic episodes', where their thoughts might be racing and they might not feel the need to sleep and will probably come up with wild and crazy schemes that could get them in trouble. It might sound fun to be going on crazy adventures like stealing credit cards and going to another country, but it's not fun when someone gets themselves in trouble with the police and in debt. This sort of negative consequence can often happen to someone after a manic episode, which is why people with Bipolar Disorder need help dealing with depressive and manic episodes.
So, we know that emotions can cause people problems and result in a mood disorder, but what about 'normal' emotions? We all feel negative emotions sometimes, like sadness and anger, and that's okay. Sometimes it can be difficult to know how to deal with your feelings, especially if they are strong. So, here's some ideas that might be useful for helping you to deal with your feelings: 1. Sadness- sadness is not nice to say the least. You might feel tearful and like you just don't want to talk to anyone. If you feel sad there are things you can do to help yourself feel better. The first thing I would recommend is figuring out why you're sad, there's usually a reason. Has something happened that you didn't like? Has someone said/done something to upset you? Once you figure out why you feel sad you can take steps to solve the problem. For example, if someone has been mean to you you could talk to them or tell an adult who can help. If you feel there is nothing that you can actually do to resolve the situation, talking to someone about your feelings is often very helpful. You could talk to a friend or a parent/guardian. Another way to feel better is to have a soothe box. This is a box you can make (and decorate to look pretty!) where you put things that make you happy, like a favorite story, a teddy bear, nice smelling soaps/candles, a soft blanket, that sort of thing. When you feel sad you can go to this box and ride out the storm. Remember, also, emotions pass. You've probably felt sad in the past and then felt better, and that is what always happens; you won't feel sad forever. 2. Anger- anger is a tricky one, because it can make you want to do and say things you wouldn't usually do/say, and it's often hard to control. The first thing to do is take deep breaths and count down from ten. This is often very calming and can help you to think clearer before you doing anything rash. If you're angry at a person, I would recommend talking to them and explaining, as calmly as possible, why you feel angry. Maybe it was a misunderstanding, or they made a mistake they are willing to apologize for. Try to imagine how you would feel in their situation, and why they acted the way they did. Sometimes people do and say things that are not forgivable, and in those cases it's okay to feel angry. You should remember, though, that anger will not turn back time or change the situation, and so it is often not useful and will probably just make you feel bad. Getting out your emotions in a more healthy way can often be helpful. For example, you could hit a pillow, scribble on a piece of paper, even shout into a pillow. This may help get your anger out, as can things such as boxing and other forms of exercise. Remember that if someone has done something bad to you you should always talk to an adult about it, and if people are being mean in school or anywhere else, teachers and parents/guardians will be there to help you. 3. Guilt- guilt is where you feel bad because you feel/you have done something wrong. We all make mistakes, and sometimes we really regret them. Remember that you are only human, and we all do things we're not proud of sometimes. The first thing to do is always be honest about things; if you've done something you feel bad about lying will only make things worse. Apologizing will hopefully make you feel better, but if it doesn't, try to remember that if you've said sorry that's all you can really do, and feeling guilty will not change things. If you can rectify the situation, for example by fixing something you've broken, then do your best to fix things. If you can't, then a sincere apology should be enough. If the person you've apologized to does not accept it, then there's nothing you can do about that and it's not your fault. Think of how you would comfort a best friend in that situation, would you be as hard on them as you're being on yourself? Remember there are always things you can do to deal with your feelings, and most importantly, we all have emotions and that's okay. Learning to understand and healthily express your emotions is very important for your well-being, so talk to a trusted adult if you feel like you need help. If you are struggling a lot and finding it difficult to cope, please tell a parent/guardian/teacher so that they can help you.
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This article is especially for kids and young people wanting to learn more about how brains can ‘go wrong’ (stay tuned, I’ll let you know why the quotations are there). You might know someone with behavior/feelings you don’t quite understand, who are suffering from what’s called a mental illness. You might have some feelings that you’re struggling with yourself; did you know around 1 in 10 children have a psychiatric diagnosis? That means a friend or even yourself might be struggling with your thoughts and/or feelings and get told you/they have something with a funny name by a psychologist in a suit.
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