Some people who are experiencing depression engage in escapist behavior. While this is more often observed in men, plenty of women do it, too.
Escapism is mental diversion from unpleasant or boring aspects of daily life, typically through activities involving imagination or entertainment. Escapism may be used to occupy one's self away from persistent feelings of depression or general sadness.
This is at the root of your anxiety, the fear of “doing the living”, becoming frightened of your own existence. Escapism is a way of attempting to make negative feelings dissipate, without working through the necessary steps in order to come to relief through mental resolution.
Escapism can be a coping skill when used positively; however, to ignore reality completely can be detrimental. If you or someone you care about may be using drugs or alcohol as a form of escapism, we can help.
“During traumatic experiences, many individuals naturally 'escape' the situation mentally in order to avoid further distress and psychological harm.”
What is the origin of escapism? Escapism, originally an Americanism, is a compound of escape and the suffix –ism, first appearing in 1933.
Escapism becomes harmful when it becomes avoidance, and it can involve partaking in unhealthy activities or even healthy ones in excess. For example, shopping isn't automatically bad. However, if you shop to make yourself feel better and avoid difficult feelings, it becomes a negative thing.
Attending movies, listening to the radio, dancing to live music, and reading cheap magazines or books containing sensational or gruesome material, popularly known as pulp fiction, allowed people to escape from the uncertainties, anxieties, and loss of self esteem associated with the Depression years.
Dissociation is often considered a coping or defence mechanism, a way of tolerating stress, boredom or conflict. For some people, dissociation is a form of extreme escapism.
Too much of escapism is bad when it turns into the habit of avoiding. We start avoiding reality, the challenges which lead to a better life. It affects professional growth (procrastinating work) and personal relationships (not solving problems by communication).
“Escapism is the opposite of mindfulness – that is living in the moment, or living mindfully. It may be that, for you, facing reality is simply too terrifying. This is at the root of your anxiety, the fear of 'doing the living', becoming frightened of your own existence,” says psychotherapist Amanda Perl.
Dissociation
Dissociation is one of the most powerful defense mechanisms. Psychology surrounding dissociation centers on escapism – mentally separating yourself from your body (depersonalization) or environment (derealization) – to distance yourself from overwhelming experiences.
Two dimensions of escapism were proposed: self-suppression and self-expansion. Self-suppression escapism derives from motivation to avoid negative evaluation of self by getting focused on an activity, whereas self-expansion is motivated from facilitations of positive experiences by getting immersed in an activity.
Fantasizing about running away, or getting close to actually doing so, is perhaps more common than you may think. At its core, running away is a means to escape our current world—a world that isn't serving us the way we desire. Maybe you feel stuck or bored and are craving a renewed sense of vigor.
It can help reduce stress
This is perhaps one of the most common reasons we turn to escapism. Getting lost in a favourite book, daydreaming while listening to a song or playing a video game can all help us switch off, release tension and reduce stress.
Can you become addicted to escaping reality? Yes, and escapism is a big part of life. Whether you do that with fun activities like going to the zoo, a themepark or watching tv to just distract you from the negativity that surrounds you.
Dissociation is a mental process of disconnecting from one's thoughts, feelings, memories or sense of identity. The dissociative disorders that need professional treatment include dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue, depersonalisation disorder and dissociative identity disorder.
Symptoms of depression
Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much. Decreased energy or fatigue. Restlessness or trouble sitting still. Lack of interest in activities that used to make you happy.
People found unique and inexpensive ways to entertain themselves during the Great Depression. They listened to a variety of radio shows or took in a cheap movie. They also took part in sports, fads, or fun contests that didn't cost anything at all.
Major depressive disorder is a serious mental illness that affects how people feel, think, and go about their everyday tasks. The condition can also impact a person's sleep habits, appetite, and ability to enjoy life.
If you have a tendency to daydream (a lot), then you could be an escapist. Escapists are people who want to create their own reality whilst they go about their daily routine. And these day dreams don't tend to happen purposefully; they actually happen quite naturally when you don't expect it.
Forms of passive escapism are considered activities which allow consumers to free their mind from their current conditions but do not require much from consumers in terms of cognitive efforts or interactivity beyond their attention and appreciation.
Background: Escapism is a tendency to seek escape and distraction from reality or real-life problems. Past research regards escapism as a negative inducement that leads to adverse consequences when combined with substance use and other addictive activities.