Emotional distress is increasing among young adults, with 40% of high school students feeling hopeless in the past year. Between 2016 and 2024, emotional health problems among 18 to 25-year-olds grew from 21% to 33%, with 12% experiencing suicidal thoughts. A significant factor in this trend is the happiness trap, which arises from experiential avoidance and the belief that one must eliminate negative feelings to achieve happiness. This trap ultimately magnifies emotional distress, as attempts to suppress negative experiences often lead to exacerbating those very emotions.
Research indicates that 40% of high school students have felt hopeless in the past year, with emotional health issues among 18 to 25-year-olds rising from 21% to 33% from 2016 to 2024.
Experiential avoidance, or the tendency to avoid negative emotions, contributes to the happiness trap, which prompts a belief that happiness should be a constant state.
The happiness trap leads us to try to suppress negative feelings, but the more we attempt to control our emotions, the stronger they become, resulting in increased emotional distress.
The fundamental principle of the mind is that trying to avoid unwanted thoughts and feelings often results in those feelings becoming more powerful, perpetuating emotional distress.
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