Invalidation occurs when someone’s feelings are ignored or dismissed, often leading them to question the legitimacy of their own emotions. For example, telling someone to “calm down” when they’re upset or saying “you’re overreacting” invalidates their emotional experience and makes them feel like their feelings don’t matter. This is especially harmful when it’s a repeated pattern, as it can lead to self-doubt, confusion, and emotional suppression.
When emotions are pathologized, they are treated as abnormal, disordered, or a sign of something being wrong, rather than being seen as valid and natural human experiences. This pathologization is a way of invalidating those emotions by suggesting that they are inappropriate or unacceptable in some way instead of understanding them as legitimate responses to life’s challenges and circumstances.
For example, when someone’s sadness, anger, or anxiety is labeled as “hysterical” or “overdramatic,” the underlying message is that their feelings are not valid, which can make the person feel like their emotional responses are flawed or unworthy of expression. Instead of acknowledging the emotional pain or distress as part of the human experience, pathologizing it places judgment on the emotions themselves, turning them into something that needs to be “fixed” or “corrected.”
This kind of invalidation can be especially harmful because it not only dismisses the person’s feelings but also discourages emotional awareness and expression, leading to a disconnect from one’s own emotional truth. Over time, this may contribute to feelings of shame, confusion, self-doubt, and emotional suppression, making it harder for the individual to process their emotions in healthy ways.
In both personal relationships and broader societal contexts, pathologizing emotions serves to undermine a person’s sense of self and emotional well-being, making it harder for them to navigate the world with authenticity and confidence.
Price, Lisa. “Reasons You and Others Invalidate Your Emotional Experience.” Psych Central, 6 Oct. 2021, https://psychcentral.com/health/reasons-you-and-others-invalidate-your-emotional-experience.
Levine, Laura J. “Recognizing the Pain of Emotional Invalidation.” Psychology Today, 24 May 2022, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/from-charm-to-harm/202205/recognizing-the-pain-of-emotional-invalidation.