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Here is a list of activities which may assist or impede emotional processing. Some (eg drinking alcohol) may dull the immediate hurt of the negative life event but not necessarily affect the processing of the event itself. Others (eg writing down the experience) may assist emotional processing more obviously. |
Codes
? = Items where evidence is equivocal.
| ACTIVITIES ASSISTING EMOTIONAL PROCESSING | ACTIVITIES IMPEDING EMOTIONAL PROCESSING |
| Experiencing Emotions | Experiencing Emotions |
| Trying to understand the emotions/plan an action/view it creatively (Whelton 2004) Allowing self to fully feel emotions Focusing on emotion (Gendlin 1996) Exposure to emotional trigger (Foa & Kozak 1986) |
Mentally replaying the event and dwelling on the hurt/rumination (Siegle et al in press) Suppressing ones thoughts about a negative event (Richards & Gross 2000) Dissociating from event/numbing Not allowing self to experience the emotions involved Avoiding emotional triggers Mental or physical distraction* |
| Expressing Emotions | Expressing Emotions |
| Expressing emotions directly (eg crying) (Standton et al 2000) Talking to friend, self, pet Writing down the experience Prayer Expressing artistically (drawing, dance, singing) – general expression – or related specifically to the life event ? Aggression to objects, unrelated people, pets (Bushman 2002 suggests this aggravates the situation) |
Not expressing the emotions in any way Not talking to others Not writing down experiences |
| Appraisal | Appraisal |
| Reappraising/recontextualising the event | Attentional bias to negative event (Mogg & Bradley 1998) Somatic/external attribution of event (Brosschot & Aarsse 2001) |
| Interpersonal action | Interpersonal action |
| Talking with the person involved (if resolved) Confronting the person involved (if resolved) Reconciliation/forgiveness (Greenberg) |
Talking with the person involved (if not resolved) Others repeating or reinforcing the hurt Unforgiveness |
| Activities | Activities |
| Having positive emotions (the ‘undoing effect of positive emotions’ Fredrickson et al 2000) Eating Sexual experience Sleep Dreams Relaxing Physical activity, walking, moving about, sports Watching other things eg TV Music Watching drama/dance/arts |
Excessive use of alcohol or drugs Inactivity Continued activity without rest Continued cognition (lack of balance with non cognitive, non verbal activities) eg worry, rumination, continued problem solving Lack of sleep/dreams |
* Whereas distraction may reduce the emotional arousal of minor emotional events (‘daily hassles’) and be useful to get through the day without being over-reactive, it is likely to be detrimental for a serious event/trauma. Horowitz (1979,1980 & 1990) suggests mental avoidance and distraction may contribute to post traumatic stress disorder.
References