Keywords
emotion regulation skills
emotion regulation difficulty
addiction
Abstract
One of the important concepts in human life is emotions. In addition to positive emotions such as joy, hope, optimism and enthusiasm, negative emotions such as fear, sadness, pain and disappointment are a part of human life. It is quite natural to experience positive or negative emotions. What is important is how healthy the reactions given in emotional situations are. Emotions are harmless when experienced appropriately, on time and in a measured manner. In such cases, emotions are regulated in a healthy way. However, when emotions cannot be dealt with in a healthy way, certain problems arise in the individual. Studies have shown that difficulties in regulating emotions play important roles in the etiology of mental disorders. While some individuals overcome the emotions they experience with the skills they have, others experience these difficulties more severely because they lack these skills. Emotion regulation difficulties lead the person to irrational ways to overcome the current situation. One of these ways is addiction. The addicted person wants to escape from negative emotions by using substances or exhibiting a behavior. However, addiction can never be a method of regulating emotions. On the contrary, it causes the individual to experience significant losses. It is very important to provide individuals with emotion regulation skills from an early age in order to strengthen their mental health, increase their psychological resilience, support their psychological well-being and protect them from addiction. Studies have shown that difficulties in emotion regulation lead to addictions and that individuals who receive emotion regulation skills training cope better with addictions. The purpose of this article is to raise awareness about the importance of emotion regulation skills in the fight against addiction and to contribute to protective and preventive mental health services.
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