Prejudices, stereotypes – why are they harmful?

Prejudices and stereotypes: probably each of us has encountered them at some point, given in to them, and perhaps even become a victim of them. Sometimes we do not even realize when they affect us. We do not always understand why they arise. There are many unknown factors surrounding them, but it can certainly be said that they bring more harm than good.

Stereotypes are generalizations, meaning they assign the same characteristics to all people who belong to a particular social group. We are talking about stereotypes related to gender, religion, or mental disorders.

Stereotypical thinking can be harmful for many reasons and can lead to social prejudices that increase a negative attitude toward a particular group. People who give in to stereotypes are willing to fill in missing information about a particular person themselves, based on their views about a certain social group. In addition, people also tend to overlook certain traits if they do not fit their stereotypical beliefs.

Unfortunately, it is much easier to give in to prejudice than to speak out against it.

Despite a great deal of research in this area, there is still no clear answer to the question: how do you get rid of stereotypical thinking?

However, it is worth taking a moment to reflect, looking at our own behavior, and thinking about when we ourselves have shown a hostile attitude toward an unfamiliar person because of our prejudices. What can we do about it? How can we change unfavorable attitudes toward others in our small community?

Every change, even one that may seem small, is very important. Therefore:

„Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Stress and mental and physical health

What is stress and what effect does it have on our mental health? Can stress only be harmful to us, or is there perhaps such a thing as good stress too?

Stress has a wide range of effects and can have a very intense impact on our body. Its negative effects can affect the functioning of the immune system, the hormonal system, the gastrointestinal system, and the circulatory system. Stress has an equally strong influence on the psyche and plays an important role in the development of mental disorders, especially in sensitive people. Intense stress can also impair your ability to cope with daily life.

In addition, stress is a mental state that occurs when the challenges we encounter exceed our resources or abilities. Then there is a strong fear of failure. Challenges that cause stress are called stressors. In other words: stressors are external factors that cause us stress.

It is worth noting that in addition to negative stress, there is also positive stress. Harmful stress is called stress and leads to mental suffering. This beneficial stress, called eustress, however, motivates us to take action.

Negative stress can be very harmful to your health. Its effect is cumulative, which means that each subsequent stressful experience can increase our sensitivity to it. It can also trigger a self-reinforcing mechanism that changes our evaluation of experiences that were not previously perceived as stressful. Moreover, when we feel bad, we tend to draw negative conclusions from objectively ordinary situations. As a result, everyday, routine situations can become stressful.

Experiencing stress over a long period can lead to depression and many serious illnesses. Health problems often caused by stress require long-term treatment and appropriate care. Many of these health problems stay with us much longer than we would expect. There is a significant decrease in mood and energy, as well as motivation to act. Sometimes a stressful event puts us in a cycle that is difficult to break out of. One problem fuels another, and eventually we become exhausted and overwhelmed and see no constructive solution.

It is important not to underestimate stress and the consequences that come with it. If we feel that we cannot cope on our own, we should seek specialist help. There are many facilities that offer professional psychological, psychiatric, and therapeutic help. One of them is GGZ voor elkaar.

Psychology specialists want to help you overcome an emotional crisis, but also provide support in learning new thought patterns that will make it much easier to cope with a crisis situation in the future.

Anxiety, fear and panic attacks, obsessions and compulsions

Every day we come across many different terms for our ailments, but they are not always equally understandable to us. To make it easier for us to understand and distinguish them, we have decided to provide an overview of the most common conditions.

When we talk about fear, anxiety, and panic attacks, it is worth learning to distinguish these concepts. Fear is a response that occurs in a situation of real threat, while anxiety is a state that occurs without any external factor.

Fear and panic are basic emotions that help us react quickly in a dangerous situation by appropriately stimulating our body to act. When such arousal occurs without a real reason that threatens our safety, we are dealing with a panic attack. During a panic attack, we experience almost the same symptoms as during intense fear. These include, for example, an increased heart rate, a strong urge to escape, and often additional feelings such as a strong fear of impending disaster, death, or illness.

When we experience anxiety, it is accompanied by many unpleasant emotions and beliefs about the future. Anxiety is a difficult feeling to describe and can look different depending on the situation. Its general outline is associated with a low mood, excessive fears, excessive focus on oneself and potential threats. By experiencing anxiety, we prepare ourselves for threats and difficulties that do not currently exist but may occur. In our thoughts, we try to cope with them. We avoid situations that may pose a potential threat, overlooking the fact that most of these fears are unfounded, and we often give up a great deal of pleasure and withdraw from social life.

Burdened by anxiety, we live in its shadow and try to adapt to it. When anxiety is chronic and severe and constantly affects our daily life, we speak of anxiety disorders, which can contribute to the development of depression. People suffering from anxiety disorders or depression also often experience panic attacks.

Another common condition is obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are intrusive thoughts that often return and that we cannot get rid of. They are a common source of fear and anxiety. People who experience these kinds of thoughts try to suppress or ignore them. Compulsions, on the other hand, are obsessive activities. Actions that are repeated and considered necessary in response to obsessions that occur. For example, constantly checking whether the doors are closed, constantly washing hands.

Obsessive-compulsive disorders involve unwanted, persistent thoughts accompanied by compulsive behavior aimed at relieving internal tension. Someone suffering from such disorders is unable to control the recurring thoughts and the actions caused by those thoughts. These may be overt, lengthy rituals, such as organizing things, or hidden activities, such as constant counting or prayers. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is common and one of the most troublesome mental disorders. Daily life becomes much more difficult, and small challenges may become impossible to accomplish.

Mood disorders

A depressed mood is normal and happens to all of us. It can be caused by many different things, and there is nothing alarming about it as long as it is not the daily norm. Usually, we speak of a mood disorder when we are dealing with severe and prolonged low mood. However, it is worth noting that mood disorders can also manifest in completely different ways.

Mood disorders are based on extreme emotions: excitement called mania, or intense sadness called depression. A manic episode involves the presence of unrealistic, intense feelings, for example excitement. Depression, on the other hand, is characterized by very intense sadness and grief. Some people may experience only periods of depression; this is called a depressive episode. In other people, periods of depression may alternate with periods of mania. There may also be so-called mixed episodes, in which you experience mood swings.

When we talk about unipolar affective disorders, also called depressive disorders, we usually experience general sadness, severe depression, discouragement, loss of joy in activities that previously brought joy, less willingness to live, sleep problems (a lot of sleepiness or little sleep), appetite problems (too much or too little appetite).

Bipolar disorders differ from unipolar disorders in terms of the occurrence of manic episodes. During the manic period, we experience sudden euphoria, great elation, frequent irritability, and even aggression (especially if those around us do not want to adapt to our expectations), less sleep, reduced appetite, high motor activity, pressured speech, and much other similar behavior. Such disorders are very serious and can have many consequences, such as problems in daily functioning or withdrawing from social activities. In each of the situations mentioned above, we may have more or fewer symptoms, but if they persist for a long time, we should consult a specialist.

Personality disorder

It is worth starting by explaining: what exactly is personality? Well, it is a part of all our functions. These traits are built up during childhood, and as we grow older, our life experiences shape and consolidate them. We can therefore say that these are complex behavior patterns deeply rooted within us.

When do we speak of personality disorders?

An adult usually does not have a major problem adjusting to the social requirements or rules that apply in a given place. They can adapt their behavior to a specific situation. In people with a personality disorder, there is a lack of flexibility and rigidity in behavior that is so strong that it hinders adaptation to social norms. Such people may find it difficult to navigate certain situations and, in addition, experience severe psychological suffering.

Problems arise in areas such as perception, expressing emotions, functioning among other people, and controlling one’s inner desires. People with personality disorders often cause many problems not only for themselves but also for the people around them. The environment in which they live usually does not understand their behavior.

There are many different types of personality disorders. They are divided into categories in which the disorders are somewhat similar to each other. These categories are called “clusters” in diagnostic terminology.

1. Cluster A personality disorders are characterized by traits such as: withdrawal, coldness, suspiciousness, irrationality, mistrust. It occurs in approximately 5.7% of the population. The following conditions fall into this category:

• Schizotypal personality – these are usually cold and apathetic people, they tend to withdraw, have poor contact with others, and are sometimes eccentric and suspicious. They usually have a strange way of speaking, strange behavior, and sometimes delusions. You can learn more about this by following the link: Schizotypal personality disorder – GGZ voor elkaar
• Schizoid personality – these are people who usually do not feel the need to form close relationships, are withdrawn, are characterized by an inability to recognize and express emotional states, often have no emotional reaction to events around them, have a rigid style of thinking and behavior, but also problems functioning in society. You can learn more about this by following the link: Schizoid personality disorder – GGZ voor elkaar
• Paranoid personality – such people tend to be suspicious and distrustful of others, they often perceive hostile behavior in people, they also tend to consider themselves an ideal person, they are extremely sensitive to failures and rejection, and they experience grievances for a long time. You can learn more about this by following the link: Paranoid personality disorder – GGZ voor elkaar

2. Cluster B personality disorders are characterized primarily by the following traits: theatrical behavior, excessive display of emotions, attention-seeking, unstable and superficial mood, frequent conflicts with other people, and a tendency toward dramatic, emotional, and unpredictable behavior. It occurs in approximately 1.5% of the population. The following conditions fall into this category:

• Antisocial personality – these people are characterized by unethical behavior, with little regard for accepted principles. They do not have the ability to adapt their behavior to the demands of their environment, and they often lie and manipulate. Their behavioral problems usually began in childhood. They also tend to display risky and hostile behavior. You can learn more about this by following the link: Antisocial personality disorder – GGZ voor elkaar
• Borderline personality – this type of personality is characterized by impulsive behavior, mood swings, lack of anger control, fear of abandonment, fear of loneliness, unstable and intense relationships with others, unexpected changes in the assessment of others, unstable self-image, feelings of emptiness, being easily bored, and self-harm. You can learn more about this by following the link: Borderline personality disorder – GGZ voor elkaar
• Historical personality – such people often dramatize their own experiences, express their emotions in an exaggerated way, are seductive, and focus excessively on their outward appearance. They tend to seek attention and become irritated when they do not get it. You can learn more about this by following the link: Histrionic personality disorder – GGZ voor elkaar
• Narcissistic personality disorder – Narcissistic people tend to be very self-centered. They have an exaggerated sense of self-worth, demand excessive attention, crave admiration, and are convinced of their own uniqueness. They are often characterized by a lack of empathy and arrogance. You can learn more about this by following the link: Narcissistic personality disorder – GGZ voor elkaar

3. Cluster C personality disorders are characterized by traits such as: tension, anxiety, often excessive self-control, fear. It occurs in approximately 6% of the population. This category includes the following conditions:

• Avoidant personality disorder – the main characteristics of this personality disorder are great shyness, as well as sensitivity to social criticism and rejection. There is also often strong insecurity in relationships with others, general problems in forming relationships, and difficulties expressing your opinion. You can learn more about this by following the link: Avoidant personality disorder – GGZ voor elkaar
• Dependent personality disorder is primarily an inability to take responsibility for oneself, problems making decisions, and allowing people around us to make important decisions for us. Such people also have problems setting boundaries with others, have difficulty separating, feel bad when they are alone, often put their own needs aside to maintain relationships, and are submissive and not assertive. You can learn more about this by following the link: Dependent personality disorder – GGZ voor elkaar
• Obsessive-compulsive personality – such people are usually pedantic, overly focused on order and rules, and pay a great deal of attention to unimportant details. It is difficult for them to relax, they are rarely relaxed, and they are usually not warm. They often have recurring unpleasant thoughts. You can learn more about this by following the link: Compulsive personality disorder – GGZ voor elkaar