Emotions: Their Adaptive Action Tendencies

emotions adaptive tendancies

“Basic emotions are fundamental powers of the human mind that are of the utmost importance for both mental health and mental disorders. It is clear that all mammalian brains inherit a variety of emotional dispositions as ancestral tools for living.” (Panksepp, 2009, p. 1)

Core Emotions are a compass for life. They ensure the best action tendencies and courses of action that guarantees survival and well being. For the same reason recognizing and trusting our emotions are important in response to different life circumstances and decision points.

Accessing emotions that serve an evolutionary purpose are sometimes blocked and inaccessible to us. Due to early life learning, many of us develop a rather hostile and fearful relationship towards our feelings; fearing to feel sad, angry, ashamed, and joyful. Such suppression of feelings, makes us lose our compass and the gift of having our feelings tell us what is good and true to us. Furthermore, it disrupts our ability to express and share our needs and wants and show up to others and our partners with our authentic and vulnerable state of being and feeling (attachment). In feeling discomfort in showing as ourselves we lose the opportunity for deeper connections and living authentically and truthfully.

Understanding the purpose of each emotional reactions helps us listen and trust the messages each confer: 

  • FEAR/TERROR: flee from danger, run towards protection, freeze

  • ANGER/RAGE: fight, assert, defense self against intrusion

  • DISTRESS/ANGUISH: seek support, evoke/elicit care

  • ENJOYMENT/JOY: expand, connect, engage, broaden & build

  • SADNESS/GRIEF: withdraw, recollect, reflect, mourn

  • DISGUST: expel, repel, avoid the object

  • SURPRISE/ STARTLE: pay attention

  • INTEREST/EXCITEMENT: broaden & build, explore

  • SHAME: hide, shrink, withdraw, isolate (evolutionary mechanisms related to social

    rank and statu).

Christina Paulemotions, trauma therapy, aedp therapy