Emotions are Good for You - Yum!

 

by Richard C. Raynard, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Each emotions tells you that you have a need - is that so bad? Yet emotions are often demonized as irrational, needless, misleading, negative, upsetting, and even sin itself.

Let's face it. We are hard wired for emotions.  Panksepp and others agree we share all our basic emotions with all warm-blooded animals. Emotions happen all the time and we can have emotions about anything. And a single emotion involves our whole being: physiology, sensation, brain functions, appraisal, urge to act, and the complexity of thought and belief.

Emotions

In short, emotions give us energy and direction. So what are we to do with them?

Our strongest emotions are about things that matter most to us. We have little feeling for things that do not matter. The evidence is that emotions tell us very quickly where we stand about some event, whether it is beneficial or not. More importantly, emotions give us direction and a urge to act, but of a very general sort. How we do act on them determines whether we will get upset, entangled in them and defeat ourselves - or whether they lead to satisfaction and fulfillment.

Anger tells us we are frustrated in some need, but it could lead to blame and revenge - or - to assertiveness and determination. Fear tells us to face up to a threat. Sadness tells us to let go and renew hope. Affection tells us to engage and get close to who/what we love. Each emotion has a purpose.

With no emotion, we can end up painfully bored, having no desires, distant from everyone, or incapable of making decisions.

It has taken me a lifetime to find the purpose of each emotion and untangle it from mess we make of misusing our emotions. That is the focus of my book, The Purpose of Emotions, and the self-help books on each of the 14 basic emotions.

Each emotion can be fulfilled and completed. Isn't that yummy?

About Dr. Raynard Dr.
Richard Raynard is a licensed clinical psychologist with 35 years experience resolving a broad range of emotional problems. As a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has specialized in anxiety and phobic disorders since 1980, he has spent the last 35 years fulfilling his life-long desire to explore and define the true purpose of emotions and how people can easily use emotions to create meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Dr. Raynard's series of books on emotions can be found on Amazon.com. His other books include Don't Panic, and Anxiety & Panic Medications.