Disgust and what it tells us in modern life.
Female with curly hair and white shirt and a look of disgust.
Lately, you have found yourself becoming more critical of people. Maybe, even loved ones. You used to be able to tolerate people’s indifference but now you are feeling disdain or disgust towards people who don’t see things the way you do.
As a therapist in Ogden Utah, this is definitely a common thing happening in my office right now. I have seen disgust show up as a way to describe someone’s dislike towards someone else. With the state of the world as it is, COVID, politics, and many other issues I often hear this, “I can’t believe this person. Why would they think that way? Why do they believe in that?” So, let’s take a look at disgust and how it has evolved in this modern life.
At its core disgust is the simple feeling of aversion to something that might contaminate you.
So, on a basic level, this can look like something you see or smell that makes you want to gag, look away, or run away from.
A perfect example of this comes from just the other day. My husband had been calling me while I was in sessions. Once I was able to call him back, he told me a story and it started off with, “It is so disgusting.” Long story short is that multiple animals had fallen out of a truck and splattered all over the freeway. Guts and gore were everywhere and he had to drive through it. His car smelled, which made him gag, and the sight of it led him to look away.
Disgust is an instinct and comes from the deep brain.
Every animal, humans included, feels disgust and needs it for survival. Our behavioral reactions are really important. It helps us stay safe. It helps us to stay away from things that might make us sick. So ultimately it helps us stay alive from the things that might contaminate us. Disgust is also on a spectrum, like the other primary emotions. For example, I am sure we all know someone who can see open wounds and be totally fine with it. While we all know other people that the moment they see blood they literally want to faint or run away.
So how does disgust show up in the body –
- Turning head
- Turning body away from the source
- Scrunched face – nose, forehead, mouth
- Hunching over
- Nausea
- Covering nose and mouth
Disgust in the modern world –
As of late, many researchers, therapists, and other people in the helping profession have been studying disgust and how it has evolved.
David Pizarro, a leading scientist that has been studying disgust for 15 + years, researches how disgust shapes our thoughts on moral issues and right and wrong.
Irene Lyon talks about disgust and how it is the gateway emotion to toxic shame. She discusses how individuals who have been impacted by verbal or emotional abuse in childhood might have been told, “You are gross”, “You are a rotten child”, “You are bad”, and how these statements in turn show up as disgust towards oneself.
Valerie Curtis discusses the need to understand disgust because of three primary reasons – 1. Improving health, 2. Psychological welfare and 3. A moral emotion that influences social behaviors.
What Can Disgust Teach Us?
Disgust, whether talking about someone else or your own self, can teach us about ways that you think, can teach us about things that have been told to you, and messaging that you kept but maybe never even questioned from a cultural perspective.
Let disgust be a teacher.
We can begin to listen to learn more about how we feel towards others and ourselves. Participating in counseling with a therapist in Ogden Utah does not have to be boring. It can be a deep dive and a learning experience on how disgust shows up for you.
Reach out today.
I am one of the many counselors in Ogden Utah and I specialize in trauma therapy and PTSD Treatment, high-functioning depression, anxiety therapy, and stress relief, and body-brain-based therapies such as Brainspotting therapy and EMDR. I am excited to hear from you and be a resource in the community. Connect here today.
