The sine curve theory. What is it?
Let's start with something a little simpler (but I'll let you be the judge of that). What's a sine curve? Or a sine wave? Or a sinusoid? [All names that can be used to describe what I'm here to talk about today] Good question. Look below.
That's a sine curve. Okay. So what does that mean to me I hear you ask. Well, I think it has the potential to mean a lot! Hear me out.
I'll begin by giving credit to somebody apart from myself in terms of this theory. I've heard it elsewhere, and I thought it'll make for a great post, so I decided to write about what I'd heard in a little more detail. I'll begin by saying that credit goes to Psychology in Seattle (a podcast I've spoken about previously in this blog) in their episode about Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder.
In this episode, Lita (an edutainer) described a working theory that she'd used when she was struggling with depressive symptoms in her teen years. This was called the "sine curve theory" and used the above diagram to describe the potential trajectory of a mood, both negative and positive. I'll get a little clearer if you keep reading on.
Say, you lose your father a number of years ago. This cuts you deep. It shatters your expectations, your worldview, your way of being. It affects you like you never thought anything could. You find yourself getting sad most of the time. You feel the lowest you've ever felt. It's kind of like you've hit emotional rock bottom.
I hope that plants a picture for something we could work with now. It's bad, of course, but you gradually feel a little better as time goes by. You're not as sad as you once felt. You start to do a few of the things you stopped doing (even though you enjoyed) once the tragedy happened. Things are getting back to normal. You're functioning again. You'll never forget all the great times spent with your father, but it's bearable to live on. It's not only bearable, it's getting to be enjoyable again.
In short, you're almost back to the way you were before the tragedy.
So how can we turn this discussion about again to the sine curve? Well, it might help, as it did Lita, to start picturing the good that you've yet to experience. You might start looking forward to the future, the way things could shape up even better! You can look forward again.
You see, the sine curve designates a mathematical and physical state where there's a repetitive oscillation of a wave going only as high as possible given its lowest point. That is, it can't go above what it's experienced below. It experiences a sense of equilibrium in that its lowest point (in a negative form) is also its potential highest point (in a positive form). If you look at the diagram again, it'll make better sense.
How can we relate this to mood? Well, take the example of losing your father. You've experienced something that you thought you'd never experience in terms of you negative mood. You hit rock bottom! But, if we're going to use the analogy of the sine curve, there's room for growth!
As low as you've been is as high as you can be! You might've already experienced that; you might not have. But I think there's a potential, behind every negative emotion (as denigrating as it might be), there's the potential for you to hit the highest note on exciting emotions!
As low as you go is as high as you can go!
And think of it this way, you have the potential to experience a much higher capacity of good if you've gone through some tough times. A much higher capacity, if the theory proves correct, than the average Joe that's not experienced tough times in their life.
I like this theory, and I look forward to feedback concerning it - including it's potential flaws (which there are, as with every theory). Until then, I bid you farewell.
Images retrieved from:
http://blog.drseymourweaver.com/dermatology-blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Happiness.jpg
http://home.windstream.net/okrebs/Ch8-10.gif
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