Bruce BassiAs humans, our perception of the world around us shapes how we interact with it. And vice versa; how we interact with the world shapes our perceptions. This was a topic that was recently discussed with a guest on the #FuturePsychiatryPodcast.
Listen to an excerpt from the podcast on this topic of skewed perceptions of reality
Why is having an accurate depiction of reality important?
When our minds are at peace with our surroundings, and when all of our senses and functions are being engaged in a healthy manner, we experience what would be considered a healthy and true perception of reality.
Of course, we all have our own versions of reality and no two people will experience life in the exact same way. But when you remove any of the components of what has, for us and our personal circumstances, been normal and healthy, our comprehension of reality will shift. When these changes manifest into anxiety or depression, these states will often skew our perceptions of reality to further exacerbate our poor mental states.
For example, we all experienced some shifts of reality during the COVID lockdowns. When we were all enclosed within four walls and unable to interact with people face to face, or to enjoy a variety of scenes and activities, we quickly adapted our lives and perceptions to fit with this new reality. Our worlds shrunk, as did the way in which we saw life.
Why does our brain tend to focus on seemingly “insignificant” matters?
With such limited perceptions, it became easier to interpret small events to be of greater importance in our lives than they truly were. With the inability to see further than our small bubbles of existence, it also became much easier to misinterpret the significance of certain events.
When you consider that a lot of mental illness is linked to a distortion of reality, it’s no wonder that we saw a general decline in the mental well-being of the world population and a rise in depression and anxiety during that time. The world no longer matched our old versions of it.
And, since we are in a constant two-way conversation with our surroundings, in the same way, depression and anxiety can play havoc with the way in which we perceive the world around us. Our view of reality can start to shift drastically.
Our brain plays tricks on us and allows interal cues to drive our maladaptive thoughts
Someone suffering from anxiety will allow internal cues to guide their interpretation of external experiences. They are thus more likely to see threats that aren’t really there. And the vicious cycle is then fed by these perceived threats to exacerbate the internal fears, leading to even more heightened feelings of anxiety.
Or if you’re depressed, you are much more likely to see certain circumstances in a negative light, while others may see them as positive. In depression, everything looks bleak, grey, and pointless, despite any glimmer of positivity around you.
Although we can influence our perceptions with the help of therapy, much of this is simply our brain’s way of interpreting both internal and external triggers and is beyond our conscious control.
Consider, for example, the medical syndrome known as Charles Bonnet Syndrome, where our brain fills in the gaps in response to a sensory input deficit, such as blindness, or deafness. One might have visual hallucinations secondary to another condition that causes diminished vision.
With Charles Bonnet Syndrome, the illusions created by our minds will manifest in hallucinations – visual experiences that have been conjured up by our own brains. While depression and anxiety may not directly lead to actual hallucinations, the basic shift to our perception of the world around us can be just as much of a misrepresentation of true reality.
Our brain dislikes uncertainty; it dislikes gaps
Our brain has a tendency to want to fill in gaps, whether it’s sensory input, or worries about the present state of the world, or the motivations of others. We use mental shortcuts, and make assumptions, and act on data we made up in our mind. We want clear reasons for actions; our mind becomes tangled when actions defy the laws of physics.
With depression and anxiety, we will often attach negative meaning to details where there is none. Our minds will blow an insignificant event into something that was never there. This becomes an added challenge in the process of recovering from depression or anxiety. In addition to getting well, you must also decipher truth from fiction.
How do you stay grounded in reality?
What is the solution? Talk to others. Don’t isolate, but connect and embrace. Speaking to others, especially those who you trust who you can speak to in confidence, is the perfect antidote to the thought spirals you may be trapped in.
It may be difficult to separate the mixture of what is true versus your brain’s reality since, after all, your perception is momentarily your truth. But remember in the future, once you separate the two, you’ll be thankful that you didn’t act on what your future brain deems as fiction.
