Signing you in

Most strikingly, Tanishaa described her relationship with fellow contestant Armaan Kohli as part of a larger pattern of “trauma bonding” created within emotionally charged environments. “Because these reality shows survive on trauma, it is trauma bonding. You make friends, also it is trauma bonds; you figure it out later, but these are all trauma bonds you are creating,” she said, explaining that once people heal and move beyond the stressful environment, those relationships can start to feel unfamiliar or emotionally disconnected. Reflecting on her breakup with Armaan in 2014, she acknowledged that while they had always been different people, it took time outside the show to fully recognise those differences.

In high-stress environments, Dr Mandhyan states that the brain becomes more emotionally reactive. Cortisol and adrenaline remain elevated. When moments of comfort or affection appear within that stress, they feel unusually powerful. This strengthens attachment even when the relationship itself may not be emotionally healthy. “I also notice that difficult environments create a sense of ‘only this person understands me.’ Shared stress can produce fast emotional closeness because both people are trying to regulate discomfort together.”

“As healing begins, emotional needs also begin to change. The person who once felt emotionally essential may no longer fit the healthier version of the self that is emerging. This can feel confusing because the attachment once felt very real. Some relationships are built for a phase of life, not necessarily for emotional longevity. This does not make the connection fake. It means the psychological function of the relationship changed once the crisis reduced,” concludes Dr Mandhyan.