Module II 

Negative Emotions
 Introduction to types of negative emotions (Anger, Fear, Jealousy, Sadness, Guilt,
Anxiety & Sadness)
 Understanding Cycle of negative emotions
 Implications of negative emotions on physical & mental well-being

Introduction to types of negative emotions

Negative emotions can be described as any feeling which causes you to be miserable and sad.
These emotions make you dislike yourself and others, and reduce your confidence and self-
esteem, and general life satisfaction.

Emotions that can become negative are hate, anger, jealousy and sadness. these feelings are
completely natural. Negative emotions can dampen our enthusiasm for life, depending on how
long we let them affect us and the way we choose to express them.

Anger,

1. Anger likely serves a variety of adaptive functions

a. It organizes and regulates psychological processes, such as self-defense and mastery

b. It regulates social and interpersonal processes

c. and it organizes processes to assist with goal-directed action

2. Negative functions

a. negative intra- and interpersonal consequences, including child maltreatment and

violence

3. Health effects

a. coronary heart disease (Niaura et al., 2002)

4. Cause

a. Several theorists have proposed that anger results from physical or psychological

restraint

b. or from interference with goal-directed activity (Darwin, 1872/1965; Izard, 1977; Lewis,

1993).
c. According to behaviorism theories, angry emotions—like frustration, anger, and rage—

are caused by the omission of positive reinforcers or the termination of positive

reinforcers.

d. According to cognitive theorists, anger is an unpleasant emotion that often occurs in

response to an appraisal of a blocked goal.

5. Approach motivation

a. Although negative emotions are often presumed to be related to withdrawal motivation

(e.g., Norris, Gollan, Berntson, & Cacioppo, 2010; Watson, 2000), many sources of

evidence suggest that anger violates this expected relationship. Anger is an approach

motivated emotion

Fear,

1. Fear is a negatively valenced emotion elicited in response to an impending threat that motivates

a defensive reaction to protect the organism

2. Generally, fear responses subside relatively quickly upon termination of the threatening

stimulus to allow the body to achieve a homeostatic state.

Anxiety

1. Anxiety is a state of unease about a distal, potentially negative outcome that is uncertain or

unpredictable (Lake & LaBar, 2011).

2. Fear vs anxiety

a. anxiety is longer lasting, is more future than present oriented

b. often has a less specific elicitor or terminator (Lang, Davis, & Ohman, 2000),

c. and functionally prepares the organism to confront a threat—albeit reluctantly—rather

than withdrawing from it (McNaughton & Corr, 2004).

3. Fear turning into anxiety

a. Fear can become anxiety if active coping mechanisms fail and the fear remains

unresolved (e.g., when a specific source of threat in the environment is not identified).

b. Nonetheless, fear is not a necessary antecedent to anxiety

c. Anxious states are maintained by a host of cognitive processes, including rumination,

abstraction, risk assessment, mental time travel, and mental projection/simulation

4. Similarity: fear and anxiety

a. both emotions are elicited in the context of defensive motivation

b.

Jealousy,

1. Jealousy may result when the jealous person perceives a threat of loss of a valued (romantic)

relationship to a real or imagined rival.

2. The threat may be to the existence of the relationship or to its quality.

Jealousy is the reaction to the threat that we might lose the affections of someone important to us and

that these affections be directed toward someone else. Envy is more simply a desire to have what

someone else has, whether this be a possession or a personal attribute or characteristic. So jealousy is

based on the possibility of losing an existing relationship and envy is based on the possibility of

possessing some thing that another person has. Generally, jealousy is more powerful and more intense

than envy.

Jealousy is linked to feelings of suspiciousness, rejection, hostility, anger, fear of loss, hurt and so on.

Envy is linked to feelings of inferiority, dissatisfaction, wishfulness, longing and selfcriticism.

Sadness,

1. Sadness is an emotion that concentrates attention on the self and is an indication that the

person (the self) needs help.

2. Experientially, it is made up of downheartedness, discouragement, loneliness and isolation.

3. Typical causes are the commonplace circumstances of everyday life, but especially those that

usually involve loss.

4. Adaptive functions

a. It has been argued that the state of sadness may facilitate deliberation, aid in the

reevaluation of goals, and motivate individuals to change their life circumstances in

adaptive ways in the face of such stressful or negative life events (Carver, 2004; Keller &

Nesse, 2006; Tiedens & Linton, 2001). It seems to have the effect of slowing down the

system and prompts reflection.

b. Moreover, the visible manifestation of sadness, in particular crying, may elicit

compassion and aid from others (Nettle, 2004; Vingerhoets & Cornelius, 2001).

Guilt,

1. Guilt also occurs in response to accepting responsibility for a failure of an SRG (standards, rules

and goals)

2. Guilt vs shame

a. It is not as intense a negative emotion as shame, since guilt is the consequence of focus

on the person’s specific actions that result in the failure rather than on the totality of

the self.

b. While it is possible to be ashamed of a guilty action, it is not readily possible to be guilty

about being ashamed

3. Behavioural consequence
a. The action pattern of guilt is directed outward toward reparation rather than inward

toward withdrawal as seen in shame’s collapse of the body and disruption of thought. In

fact, the emotion of guilt always seems to have an associated corrective action,

something the individual can do to repair the failure (Cole, Barrett, & ZahnWaxler,

1992).

4. Guilt turning into shame

a. Guilt can be experienced with different degrees of severity, which are tied to the ease

and availability of a corrective action. Should a corrective action not be possible, either

in thought, words, or deeds, it is possible that a guilt experience can become one of

shame.

Understanding Cycle of negative emotions

About negative emotions

Negative emotions can be described as any feeling which causes you to be miserable and sad.
These emotions make you dislike yourself and others, and reduce your confidence and self-
esteem, and general life satisfaction.

Emotions that can become negative are hate, anger, jealousy and sadness. Yet, in the right
context, these feelings are completely natural. Negative emotions can dampen our enthusiasm
for life, depending on how long we let them affect us and the way we choose to express them.

Holding onto negative emotions causes a downward spiral

Negative emotions stop us from thinking and behaving rationally and seeing situations in their
true perspective. When this occurs, we tend to see only what we want to see and remember
only what we want to remember. This only prolongs the anger or grief and prevents us from
enjoying life.
The longer this goes on, the more set the problem becomes. Dealing with negative emotions
inappropriately can also be harmful – for example, expressing anger with violence.

Emotions are complex reactions

Emotions are complex reactions involving many biological and physiological processes within
our bodies. Our brain responds to our thoughts by releasing hormones and chemicals, which
send us into a state of arousal. All emotions come about in this way, whether positive or
negative.
It’s a complex process and often we don't have the skills to deal with negative feelings. That’s
why we find it hard to cope when we experience them.

How to deal with negative emotions

There are a number of coping strategies to deal with negative emotions. These include:

 Don’t blow things out of proportion by going over them time and again in your mind.
 Try to be reasonable – accept that bad feelings are occasionally unavoidable and think
of ways to make yourself feel better.
 Relax – use pleasant activities like reading, walking or talking to a friend.
 Learn – notice how grief, loss and anger make you feel, and which events trigger those
feelings so you can prepare in advance.
 Exercise – aerobic activity lowers your level of stress chemicals and allows you to cope
better with negative emotions.
 Let go of the past – constantly going over negative events robs you of the present and
makes you feel bad.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CqzO7TmS4hnm91cZhuTIXd7aOTzRo6TT 15

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Implications of negative emotions on physical &

mental well-being

Depression >> Diabetes

The most recent meta-analysis summarized across 23 prospective studies, which included 424,557

participants, a mean follow-up of 8.3 years, and considered 19,977 incident diabetes cases. Results

indicated an increased risk of developing T2D among depressed versus nondepressed individuals, with

an RR of 1.56 (95% CI: 1.37–1.77) that attenuated somewhat after adjusting for other risk factors.

Psychological Distress >> Immune system

For example, one study of healthy middle-age adults examined levels of psychological distress in relation

to changes in markers of immune function over a 1-year period, including natural killer (NK) cell, B, and T

cell counts (Nakata, Irie, & Takahashi, 2011). Higher distress was associated with suppression of NK cell

immunity (and not the other cell types), but not the reverse, suggesting that emotions may induce

alterations in cellular immunity

Depression >> Metabolic syndrome

A small meta-analysis of four prospective studies, with a total sample size of 3,834 participants, reported

a 52% (95% CI: 1.20–1.91) excess risk of developing metabolic syndrome associated with depressive

symptoms

Depression >> Cancer

Several meta-analyses have considered the literature. One reported increased risk of incident cancer

associated with depression when looking across multiple cancers, with effects stronger in studies with

large sample sizes (n ≥ 100,000) and a longer follow-up period (≥ 10 years; Chida, Hamer, Wardle, &

Steptoe, 2008).

Anxiety >> CHD

The most recent meta-analysis of 20 prospective studies concluded that anxiety is an independent risk

factor for CHD with a pooled HR for incident CHD of 1.26 (95% CI: 1.15–1.38; Roest et al., 2010)
https://www.verywellmind.com/embrace-negative-emotions-4158317

People who have good emotional health are aware of their thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors. They have learned healthy ways to cope with the stress and problems
that are a normal part of life. They feel good about themselves and have healthy
relationships.

However, many things that happen in your life can disrupt your emotional health.
These can lead to strong feelings of sadness, stress, or anxiety. Even good or
wanted changes can be as stressful as unwanted changes. These things include:

 Being laid off from your job.

 Having a child leave or return home.
 Dealing with the death of a loved one.
 Getting divorced or married.
 Suffering an illness or an injury.
 Getting a job promotion.
 Experiencing money problems.
 Moving to a new home.
 Having or adopting a baby.

Your body responds to the way you think, feel, and act. This is one type of
“mind/body connection.” When you are stressed, anxious, or upset, your body reacts
in a way that might tell you that something isn’t right. For example, you might
develop high blood pressure or a stomach ulcer after a particularly stressful event,
such as the death of a loved one.

Poor emotional health can weaken your body’s immune system. This makes you
more likely to get colds and other infections during emotionally difficult times. Also,
when you are feeling stressed, anxious, or upset, you may not take care of your
health as well as you should. You may not feel like exercising, eating nutritious
foods, or taking medicine that your doctor prescribes. You may abuse alcohol,
tobacco, or other drugs. Other signs of poor emotional health include:

 back pain
 change in appetite
 chest pain
 constipation or diarrhea
 dry mouth
 extreme tiredness
 general aches and pains
 headaches
 high blood pressure
 insomnia (trouble sleeping)
 lightheadedness
 palpitations (the feeling that your heart is racing)
 sexual problems
 shortness of breath
 stiff neck
 sweating
 upset stomach
 weight gain or loss

Path to Improved Health

There are ways that you can improve your emotional health. First, try to recognize
your emotions and understand why you are having them. Sorting out the causes of
sadness, stress, and anxiety in your life can help you manage your emotional health.
Following are some other helpful tips.
Express your feelings in appropriate ways.
If feelings of stress, sadness, or anxiety are causing physical problems, keeping
these feelings inside can make you feel worse. It’s okay to let your loved ones know
when something is bothering you. However, keep in mind that your family and
friends may not always be able to help you deal with your feelings appropriately. At
these times, ask someone outside the situation for help. Try asking your family
doctor, a counselor, or a religious advisor for advice and support to help you
improve your emotional health.

Live a balanced life.

Focus on the things that you are grateful for in your life. Try not to obsess about the
problems at work, school, or home that lead to negative feelings. This doesn’t mean
you have to pretend to be happy when you feel stressed, anxious, or upset. It’s
important to deal with these negative feelings, but try to focus on the positive things
in your life, too. You may want to use a journal to keep track of things that make you
feel happy or peaceful. Some research has shown that having a positive outlook can
improve your quality of life and give your health a boost. You may also need to find
ways to let go of some things in your life that make you feel stressed and
overwhelmed. Make time for things you enjoy.

Develop resilience.
People with resilience are able to cope with stress in a healthy way. Resilience can
be learned and strengthened with different strategies. These include having social
support, keeping a positive view of yourself, accepting change, and keeping things
in perspective. A counselor or therapist can help you achieve this goal with cognitive
behavioral therapy (CBT). Ask your doctor if this is a good idea for you.
Calm your mind and body.
Relaxation methods, such as meditation, listening to music, listening to guided
imagery tracks, yoga, and Tai Chi are useful ways to bring your emotions into
balance. Free guided imagery videos are also available on YouTube.

Meditation is a form of guided thought. It can take many forms. For example, you
may do it by exercising, stretching, or breathing deeply. Ask your family doctor for
advice about relaxation methods.

Take care of yourself.

To have good emotional health, it’s important to take care of your body by having a
regular routine for eating healthy meals, getting enough sleep, and exercising to
relieve pent-up tension. Avoid overeating and don’t abuse drugs or alcohol. Using
drugs or alcohol just causes other issues, such as family and health problems.