emotions are often helpful, adaptive, action tendencies

1. emotions are often helpful, adaptive, action tendencies “in the wilderness in which the human race developed its current genetic characteristics, individuals who had the capacity to respond to dangerous or otherwise significant circumstances with an adequate set of emotions, and acted accordingly, had a better chance to survive, to have children, and to raise them than individuals who were deficient in that respect” Gut E Productive & unproductive depression London: Routledge, 1989 but inappropriate or stuck emotions cause great distress alarm reactions, hypervigilance and the ability to stand up for oneself are very important for survival; if however they are persistent or excessive we may develop panic disorder, anxiety states, and problems with anger similarly when a situation becomes unsustainable & the way through is blocked, it is crucial to withdraw, re-evaluate and choose a different way forward; if however we get stuck in this sense of withdrawal, inadequacy, hopelessness & powerlessness, we then become clinically depressed

2. development & maintenance of distressed states * after a series of distressed episodes e.g. in recurrent depression, external triggers become less important behaviours body state genetic tendencies life events change loss, illness distressed state parents and family coping style future hopes recent triggers* conflict trauma, threat life situation experiences growing up relationships beliefs vulnerability factors triggering factors maintaining factors