There are two ways a person acquires behavior – the first is inherent (through genes) and the second is environmental (how things and other factors around him influence his thinking and reactions). It is a well-known fact that two twins brought up in two different surroundings eventually behave very differently from each other, and adopt two distinct personalities.
Various psychological problems such as anxiety, depression and nervous attacks are a result of the kind of environment a person deals with at the very start of their life. Here are some of the environmental influences that are known to influence the development of psychological problems in a person:
Environmental Influences through Abusive childhood
When exposed to abuse of any kind, there is a serious implication on the behavioral pattern of a person. A child brought up in hands of abusive parents or exposed to any kind of mishap at an early stage bear the scars in their mind. However, when moved to a secure environment and provided with proper counseling, they start showing normal traits. This shows that the environment plays a major role in shaping up one’s personality.
Stressful environment
When exposed to continuous stress, a person stops believing in himself. It is a sort of measure of one’s stress limits. Too much of work, peer or family pressure may build a feeling of self-doubt in a person. Sometimes, these feelings are deep and may translate into depression. Some need counseling, while others may require medication like Escitalopram.
Parental loss or dysfunctional families
Left to fend for themselves emotionally, children living in dysfunctional families find it hard to get into relationships in later years. They have gone through the pain of separating from the people closest to them and a fear of history repeating itself makes them more protective of their selves. This leads to symptoms like paranoia. Also, they are not able to feel safe or fully protected in any relationship, which speaks volumes about environmental influences.
Wars and other natural calamities
Any mishap of an epic scale where a person’s life is distorted beyond recognition in just a matter of minutes is something too much for a child to bear. When shifted to a safer location, their emotional scars surface in the form of the behavior they display.
There have been numerous examples where children from war-torn countries needed emotional healing and assurance of a safe future for a very long time in order to return to normalcy. One of the most heart-wrenching examples is of a Syrian girl who put her hands up when she stood in front of camera thinking it to be a gun. Such scarred psychology is definitely not gene borne and has a lot to do with the conditions people are exposed to.
Thus, environmental influences are very much responsible for the behavioral patterns of a person. Psychologists give equal importance to genes and environment in understanding the root cause of any abnormal behavior before prescribing treatment. Many studies implicate that the behavior, the ways of expression and the response to certain situations highly depends on the knowledge adopted from the environment.
Article Submitted by Community Writer.