The Hidden Cost of Just Working Through Your Pain
Emotional pain is real and it is painful. Sometimes, emotional pain can be just as hurtful as physical pain. Emotional pain can come from a lot of different places, including relationships, a painful loss, or witnessing something traumatic.
Sometimes, to save ourselves from feeling this pain, it may seem like a good idea to simply ignore it and push through the pain. Refusing to confront your pain and the source of it, however, is the only way to completely overcome the pain. Eventually, simply ignoring the pain and pushing through it will cost you dearly. To find out exactly what, keep reading.
First–what is emotional pain?
Although the phrase may sound self-explanatory, emotional pain is a bit deeper than hurt feelings. The true meaning of emotional pain is living with deep, unsettling pain caused by your emotions. Emotional pain is not something that lasts for an hour or two; it is long-lasting and can be hard to shake.
This is not meant to cause fear. Remember, you are not alone in your pain.
How emotional pain affects you
Emotional pain can permeate into every aspect of your life, even your positive emotions. For example, if you are suffering from emotional pain due to grief over a lost loved one, you may begin to feel guilt when you experience joy. You may find yourself in a happy moment and think that you do not deserve this happiness. Not only do you deserve to be happy, but you also deserve to unburden yourself from your guilt as well.
On top of the ways emotional pain alters your mind, your physical body will feel the effects as well. When we are sad, it is very common to ignore our basic needs. You may stop feeding yourself nutritious meals and neglecting your basic hygiene. While you may think that you are staying on top of your emotional pain, chances are likely it is slowly overwhelming you, even without you realizing it.
Letting yourself feel it
The first step to confronting this pain you live with is to truly feel it. This is a big, scary step, especially if you have only just been working through it rather than accommodating your pain. Once you confront your emotional pain, you can begin to implement ways to accommodate your feelings so that you can best serve yourself.
The following are a few ways you can begin to accommodate your pain.
Reclaim your story: Regardless of the event that happened to you, it is not helpful to imagine yourself as the victim. Once you do this, you put yourself in a position of inferiority and powerlessness. Reclaim your story and paint yourself as the survivor you truly are.
Start journaling: A great way to acknowledge your thoughts and emotions in a safe space is by journaling. This is an outlet that you can completely make your own. By writing your thoughts out on paper, you can get them out of your own head.
Give yourself time: Healing is not linear. Some days you may feel like you have completely recovered and the next you might be back at square one. Healing takes time. Allow yourself the grace you need to heal in whatever way you can.
Once you decide you are ready to confront your emotional pain, I encourage you to reach out to a trained mental health professional. I am here to help you confront and overcome your pain. The journey to stronger mental health may not be an easy road, but I promise you it will be worth it. Reach out today to get in touch so that we can begin this journey together through either depression therapy or anxiety treatment.