Emotional Support

[xaq75]

Greetings Earthlings

Just before I brainwash you into taking me to your leader I'd like to ask all you furless bipeds a question or two.

What is 'Emotional Support' ? ... I gather it has something to do with supporting emotions but what does it look like ? Does it involve talking or touching, eating or perhaps going to the closet of water together ?

I'm curious. How would you provide 'emotional support' to someone who is convinced that everyone hates them and that they are completely unlovable ?

Thanks ... now, look into my tentacles ...

[kaudio]

Hi xaq, I usually take for granted the meaning of "emotional support" as some form of help or assistance to those who are in need of it. When people are upset and a little depressed, sometimes emotional support involves a few moments of conversation to express immediate concerns, and to offer input and encouragement. With mutual respect and cooperation, emotional support can mean many activities, like working out at the gym, enjoying a night out, going for coffee, and whatever else that can fit within your schedule.

As for this someone, can you provide more details as to why s/he feels this way?

[WinterSky]

I'm curious. How would you provide 'emotional support' to someone who is convinced that everyone hates them and that they are completely unlovable?

Hi there, a psychologist I am going to has taught me to be more accurate in my words. It can make one more accurate in their thinking. Let me show you what I mean.

• I would ask your friend who "everyone" is, because unless they are someone like Barack Obama or John McCain for example, it is not likely that everyone on this planet hates him/her. I am meaning from their own individual viewpoint that it is possible that they could have these feelings because almost everyone in the world (minus all the infants, dead people, some elderly folks, people in underdeveloped countries, etc.) do know them.
  
• I used to work for a company that did data migrations. It required travel and working in small groups. Each group would be different. Only one out of many groups I worked in on that job did I have trouble in. So in one group I might say "Everyone hates me." But in reality that might only be 5-12 people in the world.
  

As to the feelings themselves, I would not think it would be accurate to say that these people hate your friend. I think it might be more in line with how your friend is feeling about him/herself. But then again, I've been paranoid and felt that everyone was out to get me, and it would be accurate in the sense that many people in my environment did not approve of me, not necessarily hated me.

About being unlovable, if I felt that way I might think back to a time where I felt loved.

It sounds like your friend is very depressed and it is the depression talking. Or it could be true that the people they experience in some sort of environment do not approve of him/her at the moment. Does your friend frequently talk like this, or did something happen?

Edited October 29, 2008 by WinterSky

[Mark]

Your jedi mind tricks are

...

This isn't complicated. emotional support is anything that can help a person to feel better. Usually, this takes the form of comforting things such as feeling understood (e.g., having someone listen to you), reductions in pain, feeling cared about, favorite foods, or experiences (shopping, etc.) and the like. when we offer emotional support in a forum like this one, we do it socially and through taking each other's posts seriously leading to a feeling of being understood and not being so isolated and alone.