Psychology is not a discipline that necessarily needs to be studied in the classroom; it can be understood given enough retrospective interaction with many different kinds of people. Without getting too personal, what follows is my attempt at understanding the impact of emotions on personality types.
Only behavior changes, not personality. An introverted child that is very shy can learn to overcome their shyness by adulthood, and introduce themselves to strangers. Though it still might make them uncomfortable, this is natural maturation: practicing good social behavior, despite lingering feelings of slight unease.
A combination of time, experience and effective parenting can change behavior, even if the personality trait (shyness) remains the same.
Habitual behavior is a little harder to change, and requires the ability of the individual to first acknowledge their bad habit, and then train themselves out of it. Other people can help, but the onus is on the person with the bad habit.
With work, patience and time, a bad habit can change, but a personality will always remain the same. The same temptations will always trigger that personality. With habitual training each unique personality has individual tools to resist those bad habits.
Emotionally inspired actions are controllable, even when we feel like they control us. Emotional distress fades as emotions fade and fluctuate—-with time. Negative emotions eventually fade allowing people to stabilize their moods and function again.
Only behavior changes, not personality. An introverted child that is very shy can learn to overcome their shyness by adulthood, and introduce themselves to strangers. Though it still might make them uncomfortable, this is natural maturation: practicing good social behavior, despite lingering feelings of slight unease.
A combination of time, experience and effective parenting can change behavior, even if the personality trait (shyness) remains the same.
Habitual behavior is a little harder to change, and requires the ability of the individual to first acknowledge their bad habit, and then train themselves out of it. Other people can help, but the onus is on the person with the bad habit.
With work, patience and time, a bad habit can change, but a personality will always remain the same. The same temptations will always trigger that personality. With habitual training each unique personality has individual tools to resist those bad habits.
Emotionally inspired actions are controllable, even when we feel like they control us. Emotional distress fades as emotions fade and fluctuate—-with time. Negative emotions eventually fade allowing people to stabilize their moods and function again.
A person can still be reminded of emotional distress, and that can cause emotions to rise unpredictably. How and what causes these emotions to rise within us is due to personality.
People with personality disorders might need the help of prescriptions that can help to emotionally stabilize them. Medication mutes the voices of paranoia, suicide, depression...thoughts that average people might only ever experience emotionally, ie not seriously ie in passing due to extremely emotional events, not everyday experiences.
Otherwise sane people can become overwhelmed by their emotions and commit rash, illogical, sometimes violent acts called 'Crimes of Passion.’
Example:
I normally wouldn't murder another man unless I was physically attacked or defending someone I love. But—if I discovered my girlfriend cheating on me, I could understand the wellspring of emotions that could cause me to murder the man she cheated on me with, in addition to breaking up with her. My emotions would have clouded my better judgement, and I would have committed a horrific crime that would destroy families and lives. I would know that I was committing a horrific crime while I was doing it, but I could not ‘control’ my passion. Thankfully, I do not suffer from personality disorder; I suffer from heartbreak and betrayal. In the moment, heartbreak and betrayal can inspire overwhelming emotions, influencing behavior that an average person understands to be hurtful and wrong. Yet even they feel powerless to stop it in moments of emotional crisis.
Example:
I normally wouldn't murder another man unless I was physically attacked or defending someone I love. But—if I discovered my girlfriend cheating on me, I could understand the wellspring of emotions that could cause me to murder the man she cheated on me with, in addition to breaking up with her. My emotions would have clouded my better judgement, and I would have committed a horrific crime that would destroy families and lives. I would know that I was committing a horrific crime while I was doing it, but I could not ‘control’ my passion. Thankfully, I do not suffer from personality disorder; I suffer from heartbreak and betrayal. In the moment, heartbreak and betrayal can inspire overwhelming emotions, influencing behavior that an average person understands to be hurtful and wrong. Yet even they feel powerless to stop it in moments of emotional crisis.
Only time can differentiate between disturbed personality behavior and disturbed emotional behavior. One is incessant, the other is temporary, even if it lasts for weeks.
Psychiatrists step in to diagnose (and medicate) those people with personality disorders who suffer from more than temporary emotional distress. It is only not bullshit when psychiatrists are helping people to better understand and cope with the symptoms of their disorder.
However! This doesn't give mentally unstable people an excuse to behave like an asshole and hide behind their pathology...Unless they have low functioning autism and don’t recognize social norms.
A personality disorder is pathological, and it might change with work over time, and medication, though there is always the chance that a person’s “demons” will resurface as what triggers their negative emotions are what makes them unstable. But behavior can change. A person might see how their behavior disturbs others, and make the effort to change for themselves and their loved ones in spite of their triggers. This takes time and patience on behalf of the person and their loved ones, and is a lifelong effort, like dealing with addiction.
Even balanced people are susceptible to the push and pull of emotions. Emotions can make them feel weak, and in their weakness they can resort to substance abuse to quickly ease the pain and fill the void. Likewise, people with personality disorders can also turn to substance abuse to silence the voices in their heads.
People with disordered personalities don’t have to have disordered behavior, and people with ordered, yet still flawed, personalities don’t have to have ordered behavior. In any case, it is vastly important to love and appreciate the people that are there to support you through emotionally trying times.
