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Emotions can be signals or alarms that something is happening. •• Gut feelings can be like intuition—a response to something important about the situation. This can be helpful if our emotions get us to check out the facts.
Myths (e.g., mistaken beliefs) about emotions get in the way of your ability to regulate emotions. Myths that emotions are bad or weak lead to avoiding emotions. Myths that extreme emotions are necessary or are part of who you are keep you from trying to regulate your emotions.
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- Overview
- Why does it happen?
- What kinds of emotions get repressed?
- Can it really lead to physical symptoms?
- How do I know if I have repressed emotions?
- Is it possible to release them?
- The bottom line
Repressed emotions refer to emotions that you unconsciously avoid. These differ from suppressed emotions, which are feelings you purposely avoid because you don’t know exactly how to deal with them.
Say you and your partner have a fight and decide to break up one evening. You still have to meet with an important client at work the next day, so you decide to suppress, or push aside, your feelings until you get home from that meeting.
Suppression can sometimes be a good short-term solution, as long as you make sure to address those emotions sooner rather than later.
Repressed emotions, on the other hand, don’t get a chance to be processed. But that doesn’t mean they simply disappear. Instead, they might show up as a range of psychological or physical symptoms.
Emotional repression often relates to childhood experiences.
Much of what children learn about behavior and communication comes from their primary caregivers.
So, you’ll probably feel pretty comfortable expressing your emotions if your caregivers:
•frequently talked about their feelings
•encouraged you to share how experiences made you feel
•normalized your positive and negative emotional experiences
For the most part, people tend to repress strong emotions, especially those associated with discomfort or other unpleasant experiences.
This includes emotions like:
•anger
•frustration
•sadness
•fear
“Hold on,” you might think. “My emotions don’t make me sick… do they?”
They actually can, in a way.
There’s no evidence to suggest emotions directly cause illness, of course. Sadness can’t give you the flu, and anger doesn’t cause cancer.
But research has linked emotional repression to decreased immune system function. If your immune system doesn’t work properly, you might get sick more frequently and recover slowly.
Repressed emotions can also factor into mental health conditions, such as stress, anxiety, and depression.
These issues often cause physical symptoms, including:
It’s not always easy to recognize when you’re dealing with emotional repression, and there’s no definitive test you can take.
If you do have repressed emotions, however, you might notice a few key signs. These signs might show up in your feelings or your behavior — both toward yourself and other people.
If you have trouble expressing or regulating your emotions, talking to a mental health professional is a good first step.
A therapist can help you explore potential causes of repressed emotions and offer guidance and support as you begin to address these reasons.
Therapy also provides a safe space to:
•work on naming and understanding your feelings
•increase your comfort level around talking about emotions
•learn more helpful methods of emotional regulation
It’s natural to want to avoid feeling bad. Plenty of people feel at least a little afraid of confronting deep, intense emotions, especially those they link to unpleasant or unwanted experiences.
While it may sound a little counterintuitive, learning to embrace those negative feelings can actually help improve emotional well-being over time.
Getting more comfortable with your emotions, even the ones that don’t feel great, can help you navigate the challenges of life more successfully while also improving your relationship with yourself and anyone else you care about.
Crystal Raypole has previously worked as a writer and editor for GoodTherapy. Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health. In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues.
- Crystal Raypole
Judgmental myths about emotions (e.g., “Some emotions are stupid,” “There is a right way to feel in every situation”)? Beliefs that emotions and identity are the same (e.g., “My emotions are who I am”)? •• IF YES: 1. Check the facts. 2. Challenge myths. 3. Practice thinking nonjudgmentally.
Oct 4, 2023 · Repression is a defense mechanism that causes a person to not acknowledge or consciously feel emotions. Psychoanalysts believe that repressed emotions can affect behavior and mental health.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR EMOTIONS. The first step in regulating emotions is learning to identify and label your emotions. Learning the function (purpose)that your emotions serve is helpful so that you can identify what gets in the way of reducing painful emotions. REDUCING EMOTIONAL VULNERABILITY.
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Oct 18, 2024 · Imagine your emotions as a river, flowing naturally through your psyche. Suppression and repression are like dams, interrupting this natural flow. The difference is that with suppression, you’re aware of the dam and might even have some control over when to release the floodgates.
