The Pursuit of Happiness, Stress and Temporomandibular Disorders

D Marcus,E Baehrisch

doi:10.5195/hcs.2013.129

Abstract

Mismanaging the pursuit of happiness causes negative psychological effects such as stress and disappointment. The resultant stress often manifests itself as psychological and physical health problems. We explore the problems of measuring happiness according to materialistic wealth and demonstrate that misinterpreting happiness can lead to a stress inducing pursuit. The happiness that human beings pursue is often material-based hedonism whereas eudaimonic happiness has been shown to be a by-product of the pursuit of meaningful activities. Pursuing a predefined happiness, the failure to achieve it and the resistance to it can create stress induced psychosomatic health problems; temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are one such example. Masticatory myofascial pain syndrome is a form of TMD that has a strong association to psychological stress. In this paper the research on TMD associated facial pain across different socioeconomic status (SES) groups is utilized to compare an objective, stress related physiological disorder with happiness data. We also discuss how the pressures of pursuing socially determined aesthetic happiness such as conforming to society’s expectations of smile and facial aesthetics can drive people to make surgical or orthodontic changes. This review proposes that pursuing happiness has the propensity to cause not only psychological stress but also negative behaviors. We aim to encourage further scientific research that will help to clarify this philosophical pursuit.

Highlights

In this research, we attempt to add a counterintuitive point of view to the existing idea that the pursuit of happiness leads to happiness and suggest instead that the pursuit of happiness can lead to stress
Research on temporomandibular disorders (TMD), stress related to the myofascial pain syndrome form of TMD, is used in a novel way as an epidemiological tool to compare with current happiness data
When analyzing TMD associated orofacial pain and population happiness, our research suggests, against logical expectations, that lower socioeconomic status (SES) groups experience less TMD and exhibit only a small difference in happiness compared to higher SES groups

Summary

Introduction

We attempt to add a counterintuitive point of view to the existing idea that the pursuit of happiness leads to happiness and suggest instead that the pursuit of happiness can lead to stress. Throughout our study, we problematize modern human beings’ pursuit of hedonic satisfaction and investigate the consequences of misinterpreting the concept and mismanaging the pursuit of happiness. Research on temporomandibular disorders (TMD), stress related to the myofascial pain syndrome form of TMD, is used in a novel way as an epidemiological tool to compare with current happiness data. Both TMD and happiness are draped in the biopsychosocial fabric of human life, juxtaposing the two is an interesting way to utilize an objective stress related disorder to help demystify a subjective concept. We hope to encourage further research that will clarify the concept of happiness and investigate the psychological effects of pursuing it

The Misinterpretation of Happiness

Mismanagement of the Pursuit of Happiness

Responses to the Pressure to Pursue Aesthetic Happiness

Findings

Conclusion