Feelings are associated with emotional safety and joy. They convey valuable messages that help us make decisions, establish and maintain connections, understand ourselves and others, and provide a fundamental sense of well-being. Feelings also come from experiences (past, present and future) that take away from our sense of emotional or physical safety and control, particularly when those experiences result in anger, which is primarily composed of fear and sadness. Those painful feelings, while disliked, are a normal part of life experiences and when they are processed in a healthy manner, collectively contribute to personal growth and emotional well-being. But what happens when we suppress, avoid or numb feelings that are painful or uncomfortable? Ignoring or denying feelings because we can’t control the underlying circumstances doesn’t make them go away. Instead, the feelings continue to brew, grow and bubble up until something prompts them to erupt. Suppressing or ignoring fe...
Kansas City Co-Dependents Anonymous