Repressed emotions, physical or emotional, play a major role in our lives. Whether we are trying to heal through difficult experiences or struggling with toxic stress, they will find residency in your body and mind.
For a long time, I thought that it was all a mind based experience where what my healing only depended upon my thoughts. While our thoughts and our mind play a major role, we often forget the body.
Repressed emotions hide within the cells, tissues, muscles and neural pathways. We may not see them when they do this, but they show up in different ways. They will come front and center at the worst possible times.
All too often when we feel pain, it is long after our body was trying to get our attention. We shoved whatever the experience was aside and chastised the body into submission of forgetting the moment. When the pain shows up, the event or triggers are long past.
Repressed emotions constantly strive to come to consciousness—that is, escape from the unconscious and become overt and consciously manifest. Dr. John Sarno, The Mind Body Prescription
Dr. John Sarno discusses in his book, The Mind Body Prescription, that when emotions such as rage or anger are suppressed, our body does its best to divert attention from them. It attempts to keep them hidden from conscious view at all costs and through whatever means are necessary.
The Unconscious Is Illogical And Irrational
He goes on to discuss that the unconscious is illogical and irrational. So, while you may be repressing some emotion from an event, it may show up in back pain, arm pain, or stomach issues. There are many physical ways that it will show up.
In the case of rage, our unconscious mind wants nothing to do with this. It will find a way to react so it avoids it and keeps it repressed. Physical symptoms within the body are the way that the unconscious does this. Repressed emotions are a physical reality.
The purpose of symptoms, physical or emotional, is to prevent repressed feelings from becoming conscious by diverting attention from the realm of the emotions to that of the physical. It is (the) strategy of avoidance. (pg 14, The Mind Body Prescription)
I often share on this website and in my books, about the concept of the felt sense. In the felt sense, you attempt to go back in and connect with the body, feeling what it is that comes up as a result of repressed emotions. It isn’t just a moment where you connect only to that, but you train the body to feel. Feeling is healing and healing is feeling.
The Misunderstood Felt Sense
Many of us are disconnected from all that is transpiring in our lives. We want to believe that we are connected and all-knowing. Unfortunately, most times we are not. It takes an active endeavor to stay connected consciously. When you do, repressed emotions are not as powerful nor do they last as long.
There’s a bigger message with respect to repressed emotions. They are there for a reason and often connect us to something deeper in life that needs to be healed. If we aim for the bigger picture of what is going on, we’ll find that we discover much greater awareness in our lives. When we do, the awareness leads to better choices, improved health, and a quality of life that is greatly enhanced.
COMMENTS
This post is SO GOOD! These emotions are definitely a big message. I know that from my anxiety and depression. That was a big lesson for me. I think it really is important to say everything that we feel out loud. Thank you for sharing this amazing article on such an important topic! ?
I’m glad you loved the post and it touched you. Yes, saying everything out loud – very helpful!