The Emotions

When something we value is threatened a corresponding mood is triggered by an Alarm* warning us of the threat to whatever it is that we value.

Two occasions of threat readily spring to my mind: one with a large, growling dog and another with a slithering snake which both led me to stand paralysed in fear with heart beating. Both animals came from nowhere and were unexpected; my reaction was understandable and if I took the time to explain more fully the circumstances all readers would make sense of my fear (because we all share a common humanity if not always common fears).

We all understand that, generally speaking, humans' welfare are threatened by aggressive dogs with which they are unfamiliar and by rapidly-moving snakes in the wild.

Hoover, author of Non Cognitive Psychotherapy, says that the mood or emotion following the Adversity* is not 'arbitrary or chaotic' (p. 44) but the ensuing mood depended on various conditions:

• type of threat (internal or external). My dog and snake examples above were both external but an internal example would be if one suddenly begins to feel panicky and nothing seems to be causing it.
• recognition/understanding of adversity. For example, a small child may not understand the danger of the hot stove whereas a normal adult would.
• origin of the adversity; who is/are responsible for it?
• its temporal status: is it impending, happening now, or concluded?
• nature of its possible impact; is the damage resolvable/repairable or not?

'Adverse emotions' are categorised by the author as 'anxiety, depression, guilt and anger' (NCP 2001: 45).

[I would argue against his calling these 'emotions' and with the seeming implication that emotions and moods can be equated. I think these states are moods except for 'anger' which can be associated with irritability which is better classified as a mood. However, moods and emotions are usually distinguishable by noting that the latter are intense and short-lived while moods are less intense but experienced for a longer time. (See Paul Ekman on this topic.) Moods can become disorders such as depressive disorder or major depressive disorder as can anxiety.]

Hoover notes that anxiety relates to 'impending' adversities while depression to some already incurred damage to one's health, status or well-being. (This observation explains why anxiety and depression so often occur together.)

Losing one's job is a pertinent example of an adversity that given it is recognised as a threat will result in anxiety over future employment and depression over the losses in social stature, work itself, friendships, etc. If the job was lost through one's own fault then guilt and shame might also be involved as opposed to being retrenched by a company who is downsizing where one might feel hostile and resentful.

The Action of Past Events

Hoover finishes this subsection with the well-known observation that, 

When an adversity of the past is linked to some current hardship or threat, that past event can stay emotionally active and bothersome--even enhancing reactions to that current hardship to which it is connected (via the psychological alarm)--without absolute confirmation that any link exists (p. 46).

Sexual abuse of children provides the classical example of this principle: 'past events do not remain functionally active without due cause' (p. 47). A young girl or boy abused sexually will probably experience sexual problems within their marriages at a later stage if not before because such abuse unaddressed remains functionally active. This upsetting of later sexual experience will occur whether the person concerned recognises the link or not. The same interference with normal adolescent and adult life can occur with other types of child abnormal experiences including severe emotional and physical deprivation and neglect, as well as physical and emotional abuse.

* These words are technical terms within Hoover's presentation.

Next time: The Compulsions