If you’re not speaking it, you’re storing it.
Do you get overly busy, so you don’t have to think about how you’re feeling? Do you tell yourself you don’t really have a right to complain? Do you deny that you’re still hurt? Do you tell yourself you need to let it go, but still find yourself obsessing over it?
It’s difficult to deal with emotions head on. There are many reasons why we try to our hide emotional pain, but most are rooted in fear. Maybe we weren’t allowed to have feelings, or we were told not to feel because it makes you look weak. Maybe you were shamed for having feelings or taught you were wrong, being dramatic, or ridiculous for having certain emotions.
With no outlet, we become overwhelmed by feelings we have no place to put or make sense of. It begins a vicious cycle of more denying, suppressing, ignoring, and burying our emotions. Once stifled, feelings inevitably resurface as depression, grief, insomnia, anger, hostility, fear, and anxiety.
If you grew up not being able to show or talk about your emotions, it’s likely that you have problems identifying your emotions and truly don’t know what you feel.
Here’s what you need to know…
Your thoughts are feelings are valid. You have every right to feel whatever you feel. You aren’t exaggerating. You aren’t being too sensitive. You aren’t being dramatic. You’re hurting. You are hurting.
Reach out for help if it seems too much. If you have trouble finding the words for what you are thinking or feeling, I encourage you to talk to a therapist. Having a more detailed and meaningful picture and words to describe your experiences, can help you find more successful ways to manage your feelings.
Carrie
