The Seven Deadly Emotions
AND THEIR ANTIDOTES
Often, throughout the course of our lives, we start out as Good, then get Worse, and struggle to get Better Again.
There are seven basic emotions in adulthood that can be identified as being at the root of the negative progression from good to worse. They all have an antidote, to get better again.
LUST
Sex, at all cost!
GLUTTONY
Food, Alcohol, Soft Drinks, at all cost!
Lust is a strong passion and sometimes uncontrollable urge for sex. It can lead to addiction, venereal diseases, exploitation of vulnerable individuals. It can be the root cause of guilt and shame.
The Bible speaks about lust in 2 Timothy 2:22, “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love [and] peace…”
The Bible also mentions lust in the following verses: Job 31:1, Matthew 5:28, Philippians 4:8, James 1:14-15, 1 Peter 2:11 and 1 John 2:16.
Antidote: Self Control
(An emotion or behavior to counteract this particular poison)
Self-control can mitigate lust by controlling passion and leveraging that energy for other endeavors. Requires the taking of full personal responsibility for one’s recovery.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help improve self-control and greatly improve your ability to control lust. Plan to discuss this issue with Dr. Z by filling out the appointment request form.
Gluttony is an emotion connected to excessive and frequently compulsive eating and drinking. It can lead to obesity and addiction. May be augmented by OCD tendencies. It can be the root cause of guilt and shame.
1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
Additional Bible references include Psalm 78:17-19, Philippians 3:19-20, Proverbs 23:1-3, Proverbs 23:19-21 and 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.
Antidote: Temperance
(An emotion or behavior to counteract this particular poison)
Temperance can mitigate gluttony by fostering the desire to be physically and mentally healthy. Requires the taking of full personal responsibility for one’s recovery. AA can help in maintaining alcohol sobriety.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help improve temperance (abstinence or moderation) and greatly improve your ability to control gluttony. Plan to discuss this issue with Dr. Z by filling out the appointment request form.
GREED
I want what I want, at all cost!
SLOTH
Laziness, Procrastination, at all cost!
Greed is an excessive pursuit of material goods, personal gain, financial security. It can lead to usury, hoarding, taking advantage of others, lying. It can be the root cause of chronic anxiety, guilt, and shame.
The Bible says the following in Hebrews 13:5, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”
Other biblical texts which mention greed include Exodus 20:17, Proverbs 11:24, Proverbs 28:25, Ecclesiastes 5:10, Philippians 4:6 and 1 Timothy 6:9-10.
Antidote: Generosity
(An emotion or behavior to counteract this particular poison)
Generosity and self-control can mitigate greed by promoting the awareness that enough is enough and that you can’t take it with you. Requires the taking of full personal responsibility for one’s recovery.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help improve generosity and greatly improve your ability to control greed. Plan to discuss this issue with Dr. Z by filling out the appointment request form.
Sloth is a pervasive laziness or failure to act, utilize one’s talents, make decisions, and solve problems. It can lead to bad consequences, such as relationship loss, job loss, financial ruin. It can be the root cause of guilt, shame (low self esteem), anger (mostly directed toward the self), and fear (of consequences).
Solomon spoke of sloth in Proverbs 6:6 saying, “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise.”
The Bible also mentions sloth in the following verses: Proverbs 13:4, Proverbs 24:33-34, Romans 12:11-13, Colossians 3:23 and 2 Thessalonians 3:10.
Antidote: Self-discipline
(An emotion or behavior to counteract this particular poison)
Self-discipline can mitigate slothfulness by placing wisdom and common sense above the meaningless pursuit of ease and relaxation. Requires the taking of full personal responsibility for one’s recovery.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help improve self-discipline and greatly improve your ability to control sloth. Plan to discuss this issue with Dr. Z by filling out the appointment request form.
ENVY
I Want What They Have, at all cost!
WRATH
Anger, Rage, at all cost!
Envy is the intense and sometimes uncontrollable desire to have items, features, characteristics, lifestyles that someone else possesses and enjoys. It can lead to impersonation, compulsive imitation, anger, manipulation, stalking, assault, and other illegal behaviors. It can have serious legal consequences. It can be the root cause of shame and anger.
The Bible says the following in Proverbs 14:30, “A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.”
Other biblical texts which mention envy include Job 5:2, Psalm 37:1, Proverbs 24:19-20, Ecclesiastes 4:4, Galatians 5:26 and James 3:14-16.
Antidote: Kindness
(An emotion or behavior to counteract this particular poison)
More kindness toward others and better self-worth helps mitigate envy by enjoying what God has given and seeing the self to be at least as good as others.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help improve kindness toward others and self-worth and greatly improve your ability to control envy. Plan to discuss this issue with Dr. Z by filling out the appointment request form.
Wrath is a strong anger and hate towards the self or others. It can lead to physical violence, verbal abuse, exploitation of the weak, manipulation, and deceit. It can have serious legal consequences. It can be the root cause of guilt.
The Bible speaks about wrath in Romans 12:19, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’”
Additional Bible verses include Psalm 37:8, Proverbs 14:29, Proverbs 15:1, Ephesians 4:26-27, Colossians 3:8 and James 1:19-20.
Antidote: Patience
(An emotion or behavior to counteract this particular poison)
Self-control and planning can help mitigate excessive anger, when applied before acting or speaking. Wisdom, patience, and common sense can help foster a better way to act and speak in challenging situations and with difficult people.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help improve patience and self-control and greatly improve your ability to control wrath. Plan to discuss this issue with Dr. Z by filling out the appointment request form.
PRIDE
Me, above all else, at all cost!
WHAT TO DO
Fixing these issues, at what cost?
Pride is an exaggerated view of the self that consistently puts us above the needs and wants of others and society. It makes us vulnerable to feeling rejected and offended without reason and can lead to anger.
The Bible says the following in Jeremiah 9:23-24, “…Let not the mighty man boast of his might…but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me…”
Pride is also mentioned in the following verses: Proverbs 8:13, Proverbs 16:18, Romans 12:16, 1 Corinthians 13:4, Galatians 6:3 and James 4:6-7.
Antidote: Humility
(An emotion or behavior to counteract this particular poison)
Humility helps mitigate pride by reducing boastfulness and excessive self-esteem and arrogance.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help improve humility and greatly improve your ability to control pride. Plan to discuss this issue with Dr. Z by filling out the appointment request form.
These seven emotions, among many others that we can experience as human beings, are particularly dangerous because they can deaden the soul, sap your spirit, and cause serious mental health problems and other negative consequences.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the standard of care, i.e., the most effective psychotherapy, for this type of emotional disturbances.
It is talk therapy, and therefore requires your full commitment and participation in changing not only the way you act or speak, but also and more importantly the way you think about yourself and others.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is available at Bellagio Psychotherapeutics, Dr. Z’s office in Alpharetta or via Telehealth.
Plan to discuss your needs with Dr. Z by filling out the appointment request form.