10 Reactions When Emotional Needs are not being Fully Satisfied

Emotional Needs

Use Illness as an Excuse

If a person is afraid to face difficult situations or situations in which he feels unsuccessful, he may use illness as a means of avoiding them. He may, for example, develop a sudden headache or upset stomach on the day of the English test.

Make Alibis or Sulk

To avoid criticism or to keep from feeling unsuccessful, a person may invent excuses of one sort or another. Or he might sulk or indulge in self-pity.

Avoid Situations He Does Not Like

If a person does not feel at ease with those his own age, or if he feels unwelcome as a member of a group, he may begin to avoid others whenever he can. He may, also, repeatedly forget things that need to be done or sleep too much.

Daydream Too Much

A person who is unable to achieve desired success in school or with friends may spend far too much time daydreaming about imaginary triumphs.

Always Try to Be With a Crowd

If a person feels lonesome and lest out f he is not always surrounded by other people, he is depending too much on others. Everyone needs some time alone.

Scapegoat

If a person feels threatened by a situation, he may blame a person or group when the blame is completely unwarranted. The person or persons blamed may be singled out because they are of a different race, religion, social group, or economic class.

Become a “Show-Off”

If a person fails to get enough attention and approval from others, he may use such methods as teasing and showing-off to make people notice him.

Become Loud or Bossy

A person who feels unsuccessful or unnoticed may become loud and try to push or boss other people around to cover up his real feelings.

Try to Bully Others

If a person is lonely, if he feels that others do not like him, if he feels unsure of himself, or if he is angry about something, he may take out his feelings by trying to bully others.

Brag a Great Deal

If a person does not feel too sure of himself, if he feels deep inside that he is not worth very much, he may cover up his real feelings by bragging a great deal. Or he may say mean or belittling things to or about others.

A person may sometimes use one or more of these undesirable ways of behaving to make up for an unsatisfied need. Different people use different ways of making up for unmet needs. One lonely boy, for example, may avoid people; another may strike out at others by bullying or teasing.