4 Things That Happen When We Avoid Our Emotions

When I finally began to feel my emotions, joy and spontaneous daily smiles replaced a looooong depression.

My inner critic works overtime when I feel angry, upset or hurt when triggered by others. I have been called ‘difficult’ by my mum, and ‘too sensitive’ by my sister. I rage inside but don’t know how that express my emotions safely or effectively. I was sent to my room by my parents whenever I expressed anger or frustration when I was a child. I would cry myself to sleep. I had no emotional connection with my mum, who had issues with her mum, whose mother died when she was 5 years old, and my dad although warmer emotionally, controlled me with silent treatment. I felt unloved and invisible. I ran away from school when I was 4 years old, and threatened to run away when I was a teenager. I left my marriage and family and ran away permanently at 46, which I guess makes me avoidant! My partner is autistic, so I often find the situation escalates out of control if I address any issues as he feels criticised. I’m learning to STOP my inner critic ‘Jane’, and allow myself to find equilibrium. Your ‘In Therapy’ podcasts are my essential listening as I drive to and from work! Thank you. I am learning and applying so much. I feel that I am growing more stable emotionally. ☺️🌿

I avoid going out of my immediate area where I live, and have done since January 2020. I only go out of my rural home to walk my dog, and can only go a certain distance away from my home, before I have to return to my safe place - my home. I am on edge most of the time, waiting for the next bad thing to happen. The only way I seem to be able to relax is drinking my g & t, but I know this maybe only making things worse, but it is my enjoyment for the time being. I am 67 years young now, and realize that my anxiety started when I was about 4 1/2 being taken to school, and wanting to stay at home, as it turns out I am dyslexic, so I did not learn to read until I was about 9 I think. No one understood dyslexia when I was at school, and so I was the bottom of my class, and kept down a year, which only made things worse for me, as no one wanted to be the stupid girl's friend. I remember the one friend I had, said to me one day "I will be your friend if you don't tell anyone" - you can imagine what that did to my confidence?! xxx

U feel incomplete when u r not connected to ur mind and body

There is a German fairytale called The cold heart which describes the first thing emotional very well. I kept reading as a kid almost knew it by heart.

Im 58 years old and Im only beginning to understand this now up to now all i have been doing is feeling anxiety and running feeling anxiety and running and so on and on and on.

From the Tao Te Ching - "Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power." Lao Tzu

Such a knowledgeable experience doctor of psychology.

i am tired,and my skin has been inflammed since my small t trauma events, i have spent alot of money to try and figure this out, and watching you on the MCAS summit i am trying you free for the monment

I have had so much trauma in my life idont know how to feel now 59 i have been hurting all my life, and i can't deal with this anymore

I really don’t have a clue what it is like to feel my emotions. I am 57 and feel lost