Candy Floss Dreamz

You know, psychology is actually very relevant in our lives. Like duh, psychology is the study of how humans feel, think and behave, but that's beside the point. The point is, you dont need to be a psychologist to apply it in your life.

There's this thing called Flooding in psychotherapy whereby you expose a person to his phobia such that the conditioned fear response gradually become extinct.If you dont get what i mean, it just means that you put this person with a phobia of dogs(cat, snake whatever) in a room with this cute little harmless puppy.He is trapped, he cant get out, nor avoid the dog. Provided that he hasnt fainted from fear, the fear will slowly extinguish when nothing bad happens to him.

So,i've came up with a distorted flooding of my own to stop my obsession with chocolates. Basically, the idea is the same - extinction of a response. So im gonna "flood" myself with lots and lots of chocolates, which is what i've been doing for the past few hours. I've been eating chocolates non-stop, all kinds, all brands. Im having another piece of cadbury in my mouth now as i speak, and honestly, im getting a bit sick of it. Those chocolates are toooo rich, until i find my marginal utility decreasing more and more. I doubt i will want to eat anymore for the time-being. In fact, i dont feel like eating anything else now as im starting to feel a bit quesy from the chocolate overload. See, so it works. Maybe if i do that often enough, i may stop loving chocolates one day!

Now, that is called rationalization - making up acceptable excuses for unacceptable behavior. Like how i always convince myself that eating one piece of chocolates is not going to make a great difference on the weighing scale, or justify that if i finish eating up all the chocolates at home then i wouldnt have any in the future to tempt me, or that i will break my grandma's heart if i dont eat the chocolates she saved for me, or that if i flood myself with enough chocolates i could actually curb the cravings. you get what i mean.

Well, this is part of Freud's psychological defense mechanisms. Believe it or not, we do use it pretty often to make ourselves feel better!
Like denial - an alcoholic will never admit he is one.

Or Reaction formation- forming an emotional reaction that is opposite of one's actual feelings. Like outwardly saying you dont like person A when actually you have deep feelings for him. Dont look away, you know im talking about you!

Or projection- placing one's thoughts onto others as if it doesnt belong to oneself. Like how you are attracted to A but denies this and instead think that he is attracted to you. Im sure it happens to any of us out there.

Displacement, now dont say you never do this, expressing feelings that woule be threatening if directed at real target to a less threatening substitute target. Example? Aggression displacement. Your dad yelled at you and then you abused your poor door by slamming it and then your poor boyfriend by shouting at him for no reason. Alright, i admit, im guilty as charged.

Or the more common identification, becoming like someone else to deal with ur inferior complex.

There's a few more but these are probably more common and applicable to everyone. Interesting huh? There's actually a name for all these feelings that you have experienced and dont be ashamed, we are all SUPPOSED TO feel that. Wait till i tell you the absurd theories of Freud that will make you cry with disbelief and i bet everyone will blurt "WHAT THE FCUK!"

Well, i've probably wasted enough time already when im supposed to be mugging. But hey! This is called revision for psychology right? :D

Oh my, ching cheng ching cheng, always so full of excuses... but do humor me, im getting a little cranky from the exams :p

posted by dreamz @ 2:43 PM