Emotional Suppression and Overachievement are two common coping strategies that individuals may employ to deal with experiences of discrimination. These strategies can have both positive and negative impacts on an individual's mental health and wellbeing. This article will explore how these strategies work as coping mechanisms for people experiencing discrimination.
Emotional Suppression
Emotional suppression is the act of ignoring, denying, or repressing one's emotions. Individuals who experience discrimination often feel a range of negative emotions such as sadness, anger, frustration, or fear.
Suppressing these feelings can be detrimental to their mental health and overall wellbeing.
Bottling up negative emotions can lead to increased stress levels, anxiety, depression, and even physical symptoms like headaches or stomach aches.
Suppressing emotions can prevent individuals from addressing the root cause of their problems and finding effective solutions.
Overachievement
Overachievement involves going above and beyond what is expected in order to prove oneself to others. Individuals who experience discrimination may feel the need to overachieve in order to gain recognition and acceptance from others. This strategy can be seen in many aspects of life, including education, career, relationships, and personal achievements. While overachieving can lead to success and validation, it can also create unhealthy habits and increase the pressure to maintain high performance standards. It can also perpetuate the cycle of perfectionism and self-criticism that is common among those who have experienced discrimination.
Both emotional suppression and overachievement are coping strategies that individuals may employ to deal with experiences of discrimination. While they can provide short-term relief, they ultimately harm an individual's long-term wellbeing. Instead, individuals should seek support from trusted friends and family members, engage in self-care activities, and seek professional help if needed. They should also work on building resilience and developing healthier coping mechanisms to manage their emotions in a more positive way.
How do emotional suppression and overachievement function as coping mechanisms for discrimination?
Emotional suppression and overachievement are two common strategies that people use to cope with discrimination. Emotional suppression involves ignoring or avoiding one's feelings of anger, frustration, and sadness related to experiences of discrimination. Overachievement refers to the tendency to work harder than others to prove oneself capable despite the stigma associated with being part of an underrepresented group.