gaurshelja2004@gmail.comescapism is a mental diversion or distraction to escape unpleasant, boring life. usually, people escape reality by engaging themselves in the fantasy world. basically, it means to avoid things that you don’t like. it can come in different forms. some people escape by seeking out alternate activities, such as sleeping and playing .some engage themselves in work. and some really get involved in addiction like alcohol, smoking drugs, and even emotional eating (bingeing).some even go to a new place, migrate to a new place to start a new life. many people try to escape from various things no matter what they are trying to avoid, these things ultimately filter down to their fears, their deepest sorrows, their pain, their unpleasant past, and their disappointments. these are pretty much just the negative things people do to escape reality but there are also some positive and productive things people do to escape their boring, unpleasant lives like reading books, exercising, yoga, cooking, and many more.
according to the psychological aspect, Freud considers a quota of escapist fantasy a necessary element in the life of humans; “they cannot subsist on the scanty satisfaction they can extort from reality.’ we simply cannot do without auxiliary constructions’, Theodor fontane once said” his followers saw rest and wish fulfillment (in small measures) as useful tools in adjusting to traumatic upset; while later psychologists have highlighted the role of vicarious distraction in shifting unwanted mood, especially anger and sadness. It is important to understand that escapism is a defense mechanism. it occurs as a result of you trying to protect yourself from something you don’t like to do, think, or experience. but it doesn’t mean that it is always right. if there is an issue you are facing, that issue doesn’t disappear by avoiding it.it’s still there; it will always be there until you face it.
however, we all should be consciously aware of what we are doing if, for example, we are exercising it is said to be beneficial because sports can reduce escapist tendencies because it increases the release of dopamine, a chemical associated with firing up the feeling of pleasure, which can help our mind to be on track and focus on our growth and positive side of life so that we don’t feel the need to escape. but on the other hand, if we do this exercising in excess, every time we’re faced with a problem, in some time we could start seeing the negative effects of exercising on our body like having mood swings and irritability, feeling tired, having a problem with sleeping, and even feeling depressed, so anything in excessive amount and especially when we are not aware of it can be destructive to our well being.
we all should have basic knowledge of escapism because we all face problems, pressure, and stress, and sometimes we just want to let go of all those things, it is sometimes important because it allows a brief moment of self-care and an emotional break. it reminds us that we can still feel happy and hopeful and be passionate about life. escapism is going to a movie to laugh when you’re feeling depressed. it’s spending a night with friends when you’re feeling alone. or for some people, it is binge-watching a good series alone.
but studies have suggested that those who use too much escapism are often depressed. it seems if we don’t deal with our issues, and avoid them we could be at risk of developing a higher level of depressive symptoms. The internet is an instantly accessible and usable tool for an escapist but mindlessly using media and overuse of it is often linked to loneliness and compulsiveness. but let’s be honest life is not a rainbow in the sky all the time sometimes the sky can be a little cloudy and imagining your sky having a rainbow will hurt nobody, as long as you don’t forget to grab an umbrella when it rains after a cloudy sky, escapism is not always BAD “especially when you are stressing over little things” because sometimes the problem is just big in our minds, what is important is being aware of what you are escaping from and where you escaping to.
some good movies –
1) shrek – 2001
2) lucy- 2014
3) edge of tomorrow-2014
4) divergent -2014
5) the notebook-2004
6) harry potter-2001-2010
7) pride&prejudice- 2005
8) twilight- 2008-2012
