Vulnerability means being open to harm or hurt. In psychology it has two meanings. The clinical one is a person’s underlying susceptibility to a mental health condition, which stress can tip into illness. The emotional one, made famous by the researcher Brené Brown, is letting yourself be seen, with the risk of rejection, which is how closeness is built.
Also called: openness; emotional exposure; susceptibility (clinical); predisposition or diathesis (in the vulnerability-stress model).
Types
- Emotional vulnerability: saying “I’m struggling”, “I was wrong” or “I love you” before you know the answer. Brown, who has studied courage, shame and empathy for two decades, argues you have to go through vulnerability to reach courage.
- Clinical vulnerability: in 1977, Zubin and Spring proposed that schizophrenia appears when stress lands on a predisposed person. The idea spread to depression, anxiety and most other conditions. Genes, birth complications and childhood trauma or neglect can raise vulnerability; support, sleep and skills lower the stress side.
- Situational vulnerability: being exposed by circumstances, such as bereavement, job loss, illness or displacement.
Examples
- Telling your partner you’re scared about money, rather than picking a fight about it.
- Telling a friend “I haven’t been okay” when they ask how you are.
In Nigeria
Many men are raised to “be strong” and hide what they feel, so depression often shows up as anger, silence, overwork or drinking rather than sadness. Asking for help is read as weakness when it’s the opposite. For anyone, the risk of opening up is real: not every family, church or office rewards it. Choose the person, not the whole room, and start small.
Vulnerability vs weakness and resilience
Weakness is being unable to cope. Vulnerability is choosing to be seen while you cope, and it takes nerve. Resilience isn’t the absence of vulnerability; people who can admit a struggle and ask for help recover faster than those who hide it. Self-compassion makes the admitting easier.
When to get help
If you can’t let anyone see you struggle, or stress keeps tipping you into low mood, panic or not coping, a therapist is a safe first person to be open with. You can book a licensed therapist on Mytherapist.ng for self-esteem and emotional skills or general mental health and wellbeing.
Read next
This entry is awaiting clinical review. It’s based on published research and health guidelines, and we’ll update it once a clinician has reviewed it.
List of terms
- empathy
- schizophrenia
- depression
- anxiety
- bereavement