emotions are often helpful, adaptive, action tendencies “in the wilderness in which the human race developed its current genetic characteristics, individuals who had the capacity to respond to dangerous or otherwise significant circumstances with an adequate set of emotions, and acted accordingly, had a better chance to survive, to have children, and to raise them than individuals who were deficient in that respect” Gut E Productive & unproductive depression London: Routledge, 1989 but inappropriate or stuck emotions cause great distress alarm reactions, hypervigilance and the ability to stand up for oneself are very important for survival; if however they are persistent or excessive we may develop panic disorder, anxiety states, and problems with anger similarly when a situation becomes unsustainable & the way through is blocked, it is crucial to withdraw, re-evaluate and choose a different way forward; if however we get stuck in this sense of withdrawal, inadequacy, hopelessness & powerlessness, we then become clinically depressed

development & maintenance of distressed states after a series of distressed episodes e.g. in recurrent depression, external triggers become less important * genetic tendencies behaviours body state life events change loss, illness parents and family coping style recent triggers* distressed state future hopes conflict trauma, threat life situation experiences growing up relationships beliefs vulnerability factors triggering factors maintaining factors