5 ms·

The parent comment felt true to me. While not author of the parent comment I would like to explain why and how it feels true. I've suffered clinical depression

by fsloth 5y ago

The parent comment felt true to me. While not author of the parent comment I would like to explain why and how it feels true. I've suffered clinical depression so am quite familiar with strong mood swings. It's never been bad enough that I would be hospitalized or anything. But some of the moods have been really bad. Had I followed my worst "gut feels" I would likley be alchoholic, divorced, unemployed and homeless. So I have parts of me sending these literally gut wrenching emotions that direct me to lash out, do stupid things - anything for the make the immediate psychic pain to stop. And at that point I have the option to either follow these feelings, or say no. I will do this other thing instead which I really hate doing right now but I know will make me feel better in a while. I would characterize this as an example of free will in action. I cannot control these emotions. But I can choose how to react to them. And I can choose behaviours that lead to better outcomes (exercise, sleep, etc) even though I don't find them emotionally rewarding (except after the fact when I notice a better mood, being happier in my body). The higher control is of course still some statistical or deterministic outcome of my current neurological state. But I am 100% I am at least not directly driven by my strongest gut feelings as far as I perceive them.

turtleyacht 5y ago
Non-Violent Communication (NVC) also emphasizes control over reactions [0]. It's still hard to do. I have to think in language instead of reflex. And it doesn't always work--or I refuse to let it work--in other contexts. Still a work in progress, I guess. [0] Sears, Melanie. Humanizing Health Care. 1st, PuddleDancer Press, 2010.
standyro 5y ago
I’m proud of you! I have trouble following and sometimes following my gut too closely. I think there’s a reason “follow your gut” is a cliche in our nomenclature. There’s something there!
- fsloth 5y ago
  Sometimes intuition works much better than analytic thought. It hits you first something feels right - or wrong - and only later you are able to give some reason to this feeling. If you can, that is. Mood swings are really nasty in the sense they degrade ones trust in the negative "gut feelings" which generally may give beneficial signals.
newusertoday 5y ago
I have a question for you. When you are in bad mood does it go away with distraction? i.e. say some loud boom happened and you are distracted to see what happened and forgot about "bad mood" and after some time it comes back or is it like physical pain where its persistent and distraction won't do anything to it?

by fsloth 5y ago

turtleyacht 5y ago

Non-Violent Communication (NVC) also emphasizes control over reactions [0]. It's still hard to do. I have to think in language instead of reflex. And it doesn't always work--or I refuse to let it work--in other contexts. Still a work in progress, I guess. [0] Sears, Melanie. Humanizing Health Care. 1st, PuddleDancer Press, 2010.

standyro 5y ago

I’m proud of you! I have trouble following and sometimes following my gut too closely. I think there’s a reason “follow your gut” is a cliche in our nomenclature. There’s something there!

fsloth 5y ago
Sometimes intuition works much better than analytic thought. It hits you first something feels right - or wrong - and only later you are able to give some reason to this feeling. If you can, that is. Mood swings are really nasty in the sense they degrade ones trust in the negative "gut feelings" which generally may give beneficial signals.

newusertoday 5y ago

I have a question for you. When you are in bad mood does it go away with distraction? i.e. say some loud boom happened and you are distracted to see what happened and forgot about "bad mood" and after some time it comes back or is it like physical pain where its persistent and distraction won't do anything to it?