Intellectualization

Intellectualization is something odd; it is when someone uses logic to avoid feeling. They try to understand the feeling or situation before they actually have to feel or experience it. It's similar to disassociation in the way that you are trying to avoid feeling an emotion. The differences are as follows: in disassociation it is often described as 'leaving the body', which would mean you are blocking out the event or feeling as it happens. Intellectualization is described as 'thinking your way out of feeling', which would mean you are overly analyzing the emotion or situation in order to not feel it. So, in theory they are polar opposites, which is enticing; it is enticing because they do very similar things. People who intellectualize are often seen as smarter because they learn to hide their emotions; whereas, people who disassociate are seen as dumber because they are 'zoning out'. Personally, I don't think either of the methods the brain uses are very effective. They cause far more damage than they repel. How so? The brain can block out useful memories, not taking in the emotion means you don't have memory on how to properly react to it. When the suppressed reactions finally surface—which they will—it is explosive. Since it has been compressed it produces a stronger reaction; similar to how a pneumatic system works. When the air is first put in, you can press it and it won't explode but once it has been pressed too many times the air becomes compressed. The next press causes explosion. Your brain is essentially doing the exact same thing but with emotions instead of air.