Tanishaa Mukerji on Armaan Kohli, Bigg Boss pressure, and why her family stayed away (Source: Instagram/Tanishaa Mukerji and Armaan Kohli)Actor Tanishaa Mukerji recently revisited her experience on Bigg Boss 7, describing the reality show as emotionally overwhelming and admitting that her decision to participate was far less thought-out than people may have assumed. In a conversation with Mamaraazzi, Tanishaa reflected on entering the show with a sense of innocence and idealism, only to later realise how emotionally intense and strategically complex such environments can become. Calling it “not a conscious decision. That was an unconscious decision,” she admitted that she had imagined the experience very differently before stepping inside the house.According to Tanishaa, she entered the show believing it would help people see her authentic self. “I was living in my fairy tale world, thinking it would be all rosy. My agent was like, ‘You can create a new perception for yourself, you can style yourself, you can show who you are to the world’. I said yes, not realising that you don’t show the world anything, they show the world what they want,” she said. She also revealed that she had never watched the show before participating and was even advised against doing so. “The team was quite smart. They asked my people if I had ever seen the show, and I hadn’t. They said, ‘Tell her not to watch’. I was that naive that if they are asking not to watch, then I won’t watch,” she recalled. Looking back, she admitted she did not know how to protect herself emotionally or socially inside such a high-pressure setting.DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. 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.What exactly is ‘trauma bonding’?Dr Sakshi Mandhyan, psychologist and founder of Mandhyan Care, tells indianexpress.com, “Trauma bonding is an attachment pattern that typically tends to develop when periods of emotional distress are followed by moments of comfort or reassurance. I regularly see people confuse intensity with intimacy because the nervous system starts linking emotional highs and lows with connection.”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.”Why some relationships formed during difficult periods feel deeply meaningful at the time, but later fadeDr Mandhyan says she has observed that people bond very differently during emotionally difficult phases. In periods of stress, loneliness, uncertainty, or public pressure, the need for emotional holding becomes stronger. The relationship could then form around survival rather than long-term compatibility.Story continues below this adDuring such phases, she mentions that the brain seeks familiarity and regulation. And in general, shared pain can create quick emotional closeness. People feel deeply understood because they are witnessing vulnerable parts of each other under pressure.“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.DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.