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The history of modern psychology spans centuries, with the earliest known mention of clinical depression appearing in 1500 BCE on an ancient Egyptian manuscript known as the Ebers Papyrus. However, it wasn’t until the 11th century that Persian physician Avicenna made a connection between emotions and physical responses in a practice dubbed “physiological psychology.”

Understanding the history of modern psychology provides insight into how this field has developed and evolved over time. It also gives a better understanding of the thought processes of some of the most influential figures in the field, ultimately emerging into psychology as we know it today.

The Birth of Modern Psychology

Some say that modern psychology was born in the 18th century, which is largely due to William Battie’s “Treatise on Madness,” published in 1758. Others consider the mid-19th century experiments conducted in Hermann von Helmholtz’s lab to be the origin of modern psychology.

Still others suggest that modern psychology began in 1879 when Wilhelm Wundt—also known as the father of modern psychology—established the first experimental psychology lab. From that moment forward, the study of psychology would evolve, as it still does today.

Important Events in the History of Modern Psychology

A number of important, landmark events highlight psychology’s transformation throughout the years.

19th Century

In the 19th century, psychology was established as an empirical, accepted science. While measures would change, the model of research and evaluation would begin to take shape within this 100-year time span.

• 1869: Sir Francis Galton establishes statistical techniques to better understand the relationship between variables such as intelligence and personality in heredity studies.
• 1878: G. Stanley Hall becomes the first American to earn a Ph.D. in psychology.
• 1879: Wilhelm Wundt establishes the first experimental psychology lab in Leipzig, Germany dedicated to the study of the mind.
• 1883: G. Stanley Hall opens the first experimental psychology lab in the U.S. at Johns Hopkins University.
• 1885: Herman Ebbinghaus publishes his seminal “Über das Gedächtnis” (“On Memory”), in which he describes learning and memory experiments he conducted on himself.
• 1886: Sigmund Freud begins offering talk therapy known as psychoanalysis to patients in Vienna, Austria.
• 1888: James McKeen Cattell becomes the first professor of psychology in the United States at the University of Pennsylvania. He would later publish “Mental Tests and Measurements,” marking the advent of psychological assessment.
• 1890: William James publishes “Principles of Psychology,” one of the most influential texts in the field of psychology.
• 1892: G. Stanley Hall forms the American Psychological Association (APA), enlisting 26 members in the first meeting.
• 1896: Lightner Witmer establishes the first psychology clinic in America and establishes guidelines for training future clinical psychologists.
• 1898: Edward Thorndike develops the Law of Effect, explaining how behavior is learned.

1900 to 1950

The first half of the 20th century was dominated by two major figures: Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. During this segment of modern psychology’s history, these two theorists established the foundation of analysis, including Freud’s examination of the unconscious processes and psychopathology and Jung’s analytic psychology.

• 1900: Sigmund Freud publishes his landmark book, “Interpretation of Dreams.”
• 1901: The British Psychological Society is established.
• 1905: Mary Whiton Calkins is elected the first woman president of the American Psychological Association. Alfred Binet introduces the intelligence test.
• 1906: Ivan Pavlov publishes his findings on classical conditioning. Carl Jung publishes “The Psychology of Dementia Praecox.”
• 1911: Edward Thorndike publishes “Animal Intelligence,” which leads to the development of the theory of operant conditioning.
• 1912: Max Wertheimer publishes “Experimental Studies of the Perception of Movement,” which leads to the development of Gestalt psychology.
• 1913: Carl Jung begins to depart from Freudian views and develop his own theories, which he refers to as analytical psychology. John B. Watson publishes “Psychology As the Behaviorist Views It,” in which he establishes the concept of behaviorism.
• 1915: Freud publishes work on repression.
• 1920: Watson and Rosalie Rayner publish research on the classical conditioning of fear, highlighting the subject of their experiment, Little Albert.
• 1932: Jean Piaget becomes the foremost cognitive developmental theorist with the publication of his work “The Moral Judgment of the Child.”
• 1935: B.F. Skinner known for his “radical behaviorism” further develops the theory of operant conditioning and researches varying schedules of reinforcement that influence the acquisition and extinction of behaviors.
• 1942: Carl Rogers develops the practice of client-centered therapy, which encourages respect and positive regard for patients.

1950 to 2000

The latter half of the 20th century centered around the standardization of diagnostic criteria for mental illness. The hallmark of this process was the publication of the American Psychological Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). This foundational tool is still in use in modern psychology and helps direct diagnosis and treatment.

• 1952: The first “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” is published.
• 1954: Abraham Maslow publishes “Motivation and Personality,” describing his theory of a hierarchy of needs. Maslow is one of the founders of humanistic psychology.
• 1958: Harry Harlow publishes “The Nature of Love,” which describes the importance of attachment and love in rhesus monkeys.
• 1961: Albert Bandura conducts his now-famous Bobo doll experiment, in which child behavior is described as a construct of observation, imitation, and modeling.
• 1963: Bandura first describes the concept of observational learning to explain aggression.
• 1967: Ulric Neisser introduces the term cognitive psychology. Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck establish a new form of talk therapy known as cognitive therapy and cognitive-behavior therapy was soon to follow.
• 1968: The DSM-II is published.
• 1974: Stanley Milgram publishes “Obedience to Authority,” which describes the findings of his famous obedience experiments.
• 1980: The DSM-III is published.
• 1990: Noam Chomsky publishes “On the Nature, Use, and Acquisition of Language.”
• 1991: Steven Pinker publishes an article introducing his theories as to how children acquire language, which he later publishes in the book “The Language Instinct.”
• 1994: The DSM-IV is published.

21st Century

With the advent of genetic science, psychologists began grappling with the ways in which physiology and genetics contribute to a person’s psychological well-being in the 21st century.

• 2002: Steven Pinker publishes “The Blank Slate,” arguing against the concept of tabula rasa (the theory that the mind is a blank slate at birth). Avshalom Caspi offers the first evidence that genetics are associated with a child’s response to maltreatment. Psychologist Daniel Kahneman is awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics for his research on how people make judgments in the face of uncertainty.
• 2003: Genetic researchers finish mapping human genes, with the aim of​ isolating the individual chromosomes responsible for physiological and neurological conditions.
• 2010: Simon LeVay publishes “Gay, Straight, and the Reason Why,” which argues that sexual orientation emerges from prenatal differentiation in the brain.
• 2013: The DSM-5 is released. Among other changes, the APA removes “gender identity disorder” from the list of mental illnesses and replaces it with “gender dysphoria” to describe a person’s discomfort with their assigned gender.
• 2014: John O’Keefe, May-Britt Moser, and Edvard Moser share the Nobel Prize for their discovery of cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain that is key to memory and navigation.

Modern Psychology Today

Thanks to the contributions of the many experts along the way, the field of modern psychology has expanded into multiple subdivisions or specializations. Some of the numerous branches in modern psychology as it stands right now are:

What is a bender? This slang term refers to an extended period of continued drug or alcohol use. An alcoholic bender is a multiple-day drinking spree during which the person does not eat and gets very little sleep. Someone who is on a bender might pass out for a short time, wake up, and start drinking again.

What ‘Going on a Bender’ Means

An alcoholic bender does not refer to one evening of intoxication. Instead, it refers to a drinking spree that is extended over at least two nights. Some definitions insist that in order to be a true bender, the drinking spree has to last at least three days. It is sometimes referred to as a three-day bender.

Why three days? Because a weekend is two days, and many drinkers drink all weekend. They may start immediately after work on Friday and continue until they are late or even miss work on Monday. Going that third day, and possibly missing work or school, makes the drinking spree a self-destructive bender rather than just another lost weekend.

Why Do They Call It a Bender?

The origin of the term “bender” meaning an extended bout of drinking alcohol is not certain. It appears to have been first mentioned in the mid-1800s.

Some think that the meaning of bender came about as a reference to the act of bending one’s elbow to take a drink. Others believe it is associated with the phrase “getting bent out of shape.”

Binge Drinking vs. Bender

Sometimes the term “binge drinking” is confused with “bender.” Some people believe that warnings against binge drinking are also warning against going on a multiple-day bout of intoxication, but that is not what binge drinking is at all.

While going on a bender might be considered self-destructive behavior, drinking five beers or a bottle of wine in one day is considered hazardous drinking.

What Happens to Your Body During a Bender

Whether bingeing or going on a bender, you risk your life and health. Both are destructive and unhealthy. To understand how excessive alcohol consumption affects your health, it is important to first understand how it affects the body.

“Alcohol (more specifically ethyl alcohol) is a small molecule that is easily absorbed in your gut. Alcohol then travels throughout the body and has effects on many organ systems including the kidneys, immune system, cardiovascular system, and most importantly the nervous system,” says Joseph Volpicelli, MD, PhD, founder and medical director of the Volpicelli Center and executive director of the Institute of Addiction Medicine.

Drinking for three days takes a toll on your brain and body, including inflammation, nausea, racing heart, and severe hangover symptoms.

Researchers attribute these effects to excess acetaldehyde (one of the byproducts your liver pumps out after breaking down alcohol) that travels through your blood to your brain, heart, and stomach when drinking heavily. When you go on a bender, you are not giving your liver any time to recover.

Health Risks of Excessive Alcohol Use

You are also putting yourself at risk of many serious health concerns, including:

When to Get Help

Continuous alcohol use can have serious and severe consequences. It increases your risk of being the victim of violence, committing violence, being involved in crime, destroying property, or waking up in jail, perhaps with little memory of what transpired.

A three-day bender that results in missing work or shirking other duties can be especially destructive to your reputation. It may be a wake-up call to others that you have a drinking problem and may soon be hitting bottom.

Frequent benders may be a sign of an alcohol use disorder. If you habitually drink excessively for consecutive days, you may want to take an online quiz to see if your drinking has reached the level of alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence.

Treatments for Alcohol Use Problems

If you find that you have developed a problem with alcohol, help is available. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Reaching out to a trusted family member, friend, or healthcare provider is a great first step on the road to recovery.

Treatments include psychotherapy, medications, and mutual support recovery programs. Medications can help you cope with withdrawal symptoms and reduce alcohol cravings. Through therapy, you can better understand the thought patterns that contribute to alcohol use and develop new ways to cope.

Support groups can provide the encouragement and resources you need as you work through the recovery process.

In the United States, healthcare professionals consult the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) when diagnosing mental health conditions. The DSM is published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA).

The DSM has gone through many changes over the years. The shift from the previous version of the manual (DSM-IV) to the most recent version (DSM-5) included a number of significant changes, including the removal of the multi-axial system.

A diagnosis under the fourth edition of this manual, the DSM-IV, had five parts called Axes. Each Axis of this multi-axial system provided a different type of information about a diagnosis.

However, the multi-axial system was done away with starting with the DSM-5.

History of the Multi-Axial System

The APA instituted the multi-axial system in the third edition of the DSM (DSM-III). The Axes were introduced as a way for clinicians to record additional diagnostic information.

In other words, a person diagnosed with major depressive disorder (found in Axis I) may have additional information added to their diagnosis, say, if they lacked a support system (Axis IV) and they posed a risk to themselves or others (Axis V).

Uses for the Multi-Axial System

Organizing diagnostic information into the separate Axes was meant to help clinicians more efficiently diagnose patients and collect comprehensive data.

However, there was controversy that surrounded the multi-axial system, including confusion surrounding the distinction between mental health and medical disorders.

The non-axial system used in the DSM-5 combines the former Axes I, II and III and includes separate notations for the type of information which would have previously fallen into Axes IV and V. The non-axial system seems to be the preferred organization by healthcare professionals who use the DSM.

Axis I: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders

Axis I provided information about clinical disorders. Any mental health conditions, other than personality disorders or intellectual development disorders, would have been included here. Disorders which would have fallen under this Axis include:

Changes in the DSM-5

In the DSM-5, the classification of Mental Disorders Due to a General Medical Condition was dropped, as was Factitious Disorders and Adjustment Disorders. This means that conditions listed under those categories were recategorized in the DSM-5. Eating Disorders was renamed to Feeding and Eating Disorders.

In addition, Mood Disorders was broken out into two separate categories: Bipolar and Related Disorders and Depressive Disorders. Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders was revised to Sexual Dysfunctions, Gender Dysphoria, and Paraphilic Disorders.

The following categories were added:

Axis II: Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation

Axis II provided information about personality disorders and mental retardation. Disorders which would have fallen under this Axis include:

Changes in the DSM-5

The categories listed above were kept in the DSM-5 with the exception of Mental Retardation. The DSM-5 changed this to Intellectual Disability.

However, the updated version of the DSM-5, called the DSM-5-TR (text revision), changed Intellectual Disability to Intellectual Development Disorder. Intellectual disability is still included in parentheses for continued use.

Axis III: General Medical Conditions

Axis III provided information about any medical conditions present which might affect a patient’s mental health.

For instance, someone who has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy may experience mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Their cancer would be considered an Axis III condition because it is a health issue that influences mental health.

Changes in the DSM-5

Any conditions that were previously categorized in Axis III are still documented as mental health concerns in the DSM-5. Clinicians can simply make note of this in order of priority.

Axis IV: Psychosocial and Environmental Problems

Axis IV was used to describe psychosocial and environmental factors affecting the person. Factors which might have been included here were:

• Problems with a primary support group
• Problems related to the social environment
• Educational problems
• Occupational problems
• Housing problems
• Economic problems
• Problems with access to healthcare services
• Problems related to interaction with the legal system/crime
• Other psychosocial and environmental problems

Changes in DSM-5

Information from Axis IV is now included in separate notations in the DSM-5. These notations can be added on to diagnoses as needed.

Axis V: Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF)

Axis V was a rating scale called the Global Assessment of Functioning; the GAF went from 0 to 100 and provided a way to summarize in a single number just how adaptively a person was functioning overall. A general outline of this scale would be as follows:

• 100: No symptoms
• 90: Minimal symptoms with good functioning
• 80: Transient symptoms that are expected reactions to psychosocial stressors
• 70: Mild symptoms or some difficulty in social, occupational, or school functioning
• 60: Moderate symptoms or moderate difficulty in social, occupational, or school functioning
• 50: Serious symptoms or any serious impairment in social, occupational, or school functioning
• 40: Some impairment in reality testing or communication; or, major impairment in several areas such as work or school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood
• 30: Behavior is considerably influenced by delusions or hallucinations; serious impairment in communication or judgment; or, inability to function in almost all areas
• 20: Some danger of hurting self or others; occasionally fails to maintain minimal personal hygiene; or, gross impairment in communication
• 10: Persistent danger of severely hurting self or others; persistent inability to maintain minimal personal hygiene; or, serious suicidal act with clear expectation of death

Changes in the DSM-5

Similar to information previously in Axis IV, information in Axis V is now included in the DSM-5 as separate notations of psychosocial and contextual factors.

Pitfalls of the Multi-Axial System

There were a number of reasons that healthcare professionals found that the multi-axial system was unnecessary.

Many felt that the distinction was arbitrary between diagnoses in Axis I and Axis II. There were concerns that some diagnoses didn’t fit “cleanly” into either category. In addition, there was concern that the GAF (Axis V) didn’t take into account suicide risk and disabilities in individual patients.

Overall, healthcare professionals can successfully diagnose patients—and account for the nuances of each person they diagnose—without the use of the multi-axial system.

There are different forms of marriage. In contrast to the common practice of only two partners marrying one another, societies exist whose members toe a different path. One such form is bigamy. Bigamy is defined as the act of going through a marriage ceremony with one person while legally married to another.

Polygamy is having more than one spouse at a time, so one must engage in bigamy to experience polygamy.

Read further to explore these two notable non-traditional systems of romantic partnership. you will find out there are additional similarities and differences between bigamy and polygamy. Other related practices will be examined as well.

What Is Bigamy?

Bigamy refers to a marriage between two people, where one-half of the couple is already in an existing marriage.

Bigamy can be intentional and consensual, with one spouse marrying a second spouse knowing that their initial marriage remains legally binding and with all parties consenting. It can also be intentional and not completely consensual, where two spouses may not be aware of each other.

It can also be unintentional, as the result of an attempted divorce that was never legally finalized. Bigamy is widely illegal, with all parts of the United States outlawing the practice.

What Is Polygamy?

Polygamy is the general union of three or more people into marriage is known as polygamy. It is quite rare around the world, with less than 2% of the population engaged in this form of marriage.

For most people, this marriage is believed to be reserved for a man and multiple wives. This is, however, not always the case. Polygamy is a general description of a marriage carried out by any gender with multiple partners.

The three types of polygamy are polygyny, polyandry, and group marriage.

Polygyny

When a man marries multiple women at the same time, it is known as polygyny. This marriage is not a popular choice in most societies. This form of marriage has been noted throughout history in ancient Chinese, Hebrew, Hindu, and Arab cultures.

Although it is not common in the United States, with less than 0.5% of people practicing this form of marriage, the highest numbers are in Utah and Arizona. The West and Central part of Africa is known as the “polygamy belt” with some of the highest rates in Nigeria (28%), Mali (34%), and Burkina Faso (36%). It is also observed in certain parts of South America such as the Tsimane of Bolivia.

There are many reasons this form of marriage may be adopted.

1. Girl Births Outnumber Boy Births: It may be observed in areas that have experienced a boost in the birth of girls. It would seem unfair to leave so many women single and without children.
2. Men Die in War: Societies may have experienced war limiting the number of men available to women. Although not obligated or required, Muslim societies allow up to four wives, an option that was made available after a period of war. Polygyny is usually essential for the survival of these societies in certain circumstances.
3. Religious Beliefs: Another reason for polygyny is rooted in religious beliefs. For example, the most well-known religious group that continues this practice is the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) which allows a man to take many wives. The men in this sect are taught that they need to have at least three wives to reach the highest level of heaven.

A man capable of partnering with multiple women is usually considered wealthy. This is because he must have the means to care for them all. If he is not able to take care of all of them equally, he is usually advised to not take more wives.

Forms of Polygyny

Here are the different types of polygyny:

• Sororal Polygyny: The man takes sisters of a family as wives.
• Nonsororal Polygyny: In this case, the man selects wives that have no relation to one another. 

What Is Polyandry?

Polyandry is a marriage practice where one woman has more than one husband at a time. Polyandry is observed in very limited communities. However, in societies where this is practiced, it is usually because there is a shortage of women to men. 

The Mosuo people in China are a matrilineal society known to practice matrilineal polyandry, where men and women are free to have multiple partners and to begin or end relationships as they please.

Forms of Polyandry

In a setting where a woman marries more than one man at a time, it is usually with either of two different sets of spouses:

• Fraternal Partners: In this form of marriage, the union is usually between a woman and a set of sibling brothers. 
• Nonfraternal Spouses: Here, women may instead marry a set of unrelated men for husbands. 

Group Marriage

Group marriage is also a form of polygamy. This is an arrangement in which all parties involved engage in a marriage-like agreement. It may include more than one man and more than one woman.

Major Differences Between Bigamy and Polygamy

A union involving multiple partners may be a running theme in bigamy and polygamous unions. However, these relationships are not identical. To distinguish either union from the other, the following should be noted:

Level of Awareness for the Spouses

In typical fashion, spouses of polygamous unions are usually aware of the existence of the other partners. They typically all live together and have agreed to this form of marriage.

With bigamy, however, one or both parties are often oblivious to their partner’s other marriage. In some cases, one spouse may be living a double life.

Different Classifications in the Law

In some countries, bigamy and polygamy are considered legal for men. Usually, a man marries his first wife, and additional marriage ceremonies occur with time. A marriage ceremony joining one person to multiple people at the same time is largely viewed as illegal.

Style of Living 

A bigamist will typically maintain two households to accomodate the separate partners. In contrast, polygamists may keep one household with all spouses present.

The Influence of Religion

Polygamy may be observed as the custom of a specific culture. In other instances, it may receive religious backing. Bigamy may appear temporarily on the journey in a polygamous marriage, but having two spouses in two separate households, does not typically receive cultural backing, nor is it recognized in religions.

Other Similar Marriage Arrangements

Like bigamy and polygamy, other setups exist that deviate from widely normalized monogamous relationships.

These include the following:

Group Marriages

A group marriage takes place where several males and several females are joined together as husbands and wives. This form of marriage is very rare, and may be observed for economic reasons supported by the partners. 

Open Marriage

In an open marriage, the partners agree to have sexual relationships with people outside of their union. These extramarital relationships are not considered cheating, as they are engaged in with mutual knowledge and consent.

Polyamorous Relationships

A polyamorous relationship recognizes that monogamy is only one of the ways romantic relationships may be forged. This relationship type accepts the possibility of loving more than one person at a given time. It is recognized as a non-possessive form of love, where all involved are aware that multiple partners exist in the union.

Polyamorous relationships come in many different forms, including but not limited to: hierarchical poly, anchor partners, triad, quad, polyfidelity, vee, kitchen table polyamory, solo polyamory, polycule, and more.

It isn’t uncommon to hear people say that they hate people. Not just one person, but people in general.

The reality is that no one likes every single person they’ve met. Most people can probably name a few people that they don’t particularly like. However, some people reach a stage where they get so annoyed, hurt, or frustrated with people or circumstances that they feel like they hate everyone. 

Feeling this way can make it difficult for you to go about your life and interact with people on a day-to-day basis. It can cause a lot of conflict in your relationships with family, friends, colleagues, and other people in your life. Hate is also an intense emotion that can take a toll on your health.

This article explores some of the reasons why you might feel like you hate people, how this emotion can affect your physical and mental health, and provides some coping strategies that may be helpful. 

What Does It Mean to Hate Someone?

Hatred can be defined as feelings of contempt, animosity, and ill will toward someone or a group of people. It is sometimes described as the opposite of love.

Babies are not born with feelings of hatred or prejudices toward people, however, they may learn to feel this way over time. At an early age, babies naturally begin to feel frustration, anger, fear, and disgust in response to negative experiences and discomfort in their environment. But true hatred is acquired through experience.

Reasons Why You Might Hate People

What causes you to hate people? There are a number of reasons, but some possible explanations for why you might feel this way include:

• History of being hurt: Intense feelings can arise when you are betrayed, mistreated, or abused. These experiences may cause deep emotional wounds, a general mistrust of people, and sometimes a desire for revenge.
• Stress: Stress can make you feel overwhelmed, panicky, irritable, and even angry. Prolonged stress can lead to angry outbursts, which can escalate to the point where you feel like you hate everyone.
• Introverted personality: While some people tend to be outgoing and gregarious, others prefer to keep to themselves. If you’re an introvert, socializing with people outside your immediate circle can be emotionally draining. Sometimes, this can lead to agitation and hatred of people and situations outside your comfort zone.
• Social anxiety: Social anxiety can make it difficult for you to interact with people and lead to emotions like nervousness, fear, embarrassment, and distress. In some cases, people with social anxiety may even react to situations that make them uncomfortable with anger and hatred.
• Ideological differences: Having different political, religious, cultural, or social beliefs and values from others can cause you to feel angry with, and perhaps hateful toward others whom you feel are “against” you, says Kristen Farrell Turner, PhD, a psychologist and educator at Pritikin Longevity Center. Turner says an “us versus them” mentality can induce angry, hateful feelings.
• Low self-esteem: Feeling that you don’t measure up to your peers or family members can lead to insecurity, jealousy, or dislike for yourself. These negative feelings can further lead to irritability, anxiety, and depression. It is human nature to avoid people, places, and things that trigger negative feelings, and we can develop an irrational dislike for people and social situations as a result.

If you feel this way, you might also wonder if it is normal to hate people so much. It is absolutely normal to dislike people or have negative feelings about them. Disliking spending time with others or just generally preferring to be alone can be signs of personality traits like introversion.

However, feelings of constant, pervasive, and intense hatred for others may be a sign of something more serious. Suppose your hatred is causing distress, leading to isolation, negatively affecting your mental well-being, or possibly leading to criminal behavior. In that case, it is important to take a closer look at the causes and consider talking to a mental health professional.

Consequences of Hating People

Turner describes how hate can adversely affect your mental and physical health. 

Impact on Mental Health

Hatred is a very extreme feeling that, compared with other often-related unpleasant feelings like anger or frustration, leaves little, if any, room for connectedness or empathy. 

When you take connectedness and empathy off the table, you reduce your cognitive and emotional coping options.

Hatred may also involve feelings of disgust and contempt. If you are disgusted with everyone, because of the inherent nature of human imperfection, you may want nothing to do with any of them. Perhaps you believe all people are hard-wired to hurt others and destroy the world around them, and you simply have no tolerance for it.

Impact on Physical Health

Hatred is a distressing feeling that requires a lot of emotional energy. Distressing feelings often prompt people to seek unhealthy self-soothing behaviors, such as eating comfort foods or using alcohol or other substances to suppress and avoid their distress.

These feelings may also be combined with a tendency to withdraw from healthy activities such as exercising and spending time with supportive friends and family. 

Also, suppose one experiences the feeling of hate often coupled with the sympathetic nervous system’s fight or flight response. In that case, that person might eventually experience some long-term consequences of chronic stress, such as systemic inflammation. 

So, whether through unhealthy self-soothing to cope with the feeling or long-term sympathetic nervous system activation, chronically feeling hatred toward others could adversely affect your health. 

Coping Strategies If You Hate People

What should you do if you hate people? It can be a distressing and often isolating way to feel, so it is important to take steps to improve your outlook on humanity. Learning to recognize cognitive distortions and negative thinking can help, as can learning to be more empathetic toward others.

Turner suggests some strategies that can be helpful if you feel like you hate everyone:

• Avoid all-or-nothing thinking: If your hatred toward others is rooted in a disagreement with them about a specific issue, try to remember that you can disagree–and even be angry–with others without hating them. Just because you strongly disagree with someone else’s beliefs or behavior does not mean that person is all bad. This type of thinking is called all-or-nothing thinking, and it is irrational. Remind yourself that your feelings of hate are about the issue, not the person.
• Avoid generalizing: If your hatred toward others focuses on a group of people, such as people of a certain race, region, or religion, your thinking is irrational because you are generalizing. You are lumping an entire group of people into one “bad” category and making assumptions about them based on a demographic characteristic.
• Practice empathy: Nuance and empathy are antidotes to irrational thoughts. It’s important to understand that no one is all good or all bad. Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, while not always easy, can go a long way toward increasing empathy and reducing hate. Just as you have your reasons for your beliefs and behaviors, so do others. 
• Prioritize self-care: It’s important to prioritize your needs and take care of yourself. For instance, if you are stressed out, you may need to make changes in your life. Or, if you are an introvert, you may need to set boundaries that help make you more comfortable. 
• Seek therapy: Therapy can help you explore your feelings and understand why you hate everyone. It can also help you be more empathetic, build healthy relationships, and develop alternative coping skills.

Final Thoughts

Frequently experiencing anger, frustration, or discomfort can make you feel like you hate everyone. These emotions can take a toll on your mental and physical health, and make life a lot less enjoyable for you.

Reframing your thoughts, practicing empathy, regulating your emotions, and changing your lifestyle can help you change your mindset and make things more pleasant for you. If you are struggling to overcome these feelings on your own, a therapist is just a call away.