Negativity

We all know someone who constantly seems like a downer. You know, those glass-half-empty people? The people who can always seem to find a downside for everything that's positive? Well it turns out that some people can actually become addicted to negativity and self-doubt -- a situation that's sometimes referred to as "negaholism."

People who are addicted to negativity see everything in a negative light -- the outlook is always bleak. They find fault in most things and never seem to be satisfied. What's more, negativity addicts might actually seek out negative situations and criticism or be preoccupied with past negative experiences. Negaholics also tend to complain about a problem, rather than try to fix it.

So what's addictive about being negative? Well, like most addictive behaviors or substances, negativity gives you a mental stimulus. And our brains actually react more strongly to negative stimuli than to positive stimuli, so negative thoughts and feelings are more stimulating than positive ones. What some people become addicted to is the surge of brain activity happening when they think negatively .

Negativity addiction can be deep-rooted and can result from emotional trauma or dysfunction at an early age. It's kind of like a build up of negative emotions that paints everything else in a negative light, sometimes making it difficult to overcome .