7 Signs That Indicate Repressed Emotions: How Can We Release Them?
Why do people repress their emotions? What can we do to deal with these trapped emotions? Discover how to know if you repress your feelings and what to do about it.
The repressed emotions They are feelings that we unconsciously avoid because there is something that bothers us or makes us uncomfortable. People can repress feelings because they overwhelm us and we do not have the capacity to deal with them. Over time these ‘trapped emotions’ can affect us physically and mentally. But how can we know if we are repressing emotions?
Repress emotions It means the tendency that some people have to avoid certain uncomfortable feelings. By not facing certain feelings, thoughts or memories, we do not process the emotions behind them, which can affect the way we approach life.
In many cases, avoid these emotions It can be a way to protect the mind from certain painful situations. However, even though we try to erase them from our minds, the reality is that they end up affecting our attitudes. By repressing feelings, the goal is to avoid feeling certain sadness or anxiety. These types of attitudes can end up making people feel like they are losing control.
Why do people repress emotions?
Repress emotions It may occur because people lived in an environment where they were given little or no space to both experience and express their emotions.
In this way, the family environment or experiences may have been a reason why people end up relating emotions as something shameful or even as a sign of weakness. Therefore, people who usually repress emotions, They usually do it for the following reasons:
Family attitude: People who have been raised in an environment where emotions were not expressed or were marked as something negative are likely to end up repressing them. In these cases, children can learn that release emotions or recognizing them is not a good thing.
Traumatic experiences in childhood: Having suffered trauma during childhood can also cause us to end up with trapped emotions inside us. That is, if during childhood a person was criticized, humiliated or punished for showing or expressing his feelings, he may be more likely to repress his emotions as an adult.
How do I know if I repress my emotions?
There are a variety of signs that may indicate that you are repressing your emotions Normally, people who have a tendency not to release their emotions may behave in the following way:
Emotional negativity: The people who usually repress emotions They may believe that showing them is a sign of weakness and, therefore, they should not be expressed.
Have escape behaviors: To counteract the repressed emotions those people who do not express them may resort to certain numbing and escape behaviors such as overeating, alcoholism, or focusing too much on work.
Stress and nerves: The people who usually repress emotions They may appear nervous or stressed most of the time, even without knowing very well the reason for this type of attitude.
Being forgetful: Another sign that could indicate that you tend to repress feelings and emotions It is being forgetful.
Feelings of discomfort: When others express their emotions, people who usually repress them may feel uncomfortable in these situations.
Distress: Those who experience trapped emotions They can often feel distressed when someone asks them about their feelings. In this way, they tend to avoid being intimate with others and telling what they feel.
Excess positivity: Having an overly positive attitude can sometimes indicate certain negative traits. In these cases, extreme positivity usually reflects the attempt to ‘erase’ or not face the repressed emotions
People must learn to deal with our negative emotions. Although facing these feelings can be difficult, it is important to learn to deal with these feelings. emotions without repressing them To do this, you can take into account the following:
Understand how you relate to your emotions: Taking time to reflect on how you deal with your negative emotions can influence how you feel and respond to them. For example, you can identify that you automatically tend to repress emotions instead of dealing with them.
Understand how emotions appear in the body: In order to deal with emotions, it is crucial to identify how they manifest in our body. In fact, each person experiences feelings very differently in their body. Learning how to identify them can help you know how to release these trapped emotions
Identify the triggers: Anticipating those situations in which certain emotions may appear can help you manage and cope with them better. That is, if you feel that you are going to get very nervous before a meeting, you can do breathing exercises to calm these feelings.
Learn from your emotions: When we experience negative emotions, it can be helpful to try to understand what they mean. Therefore, it is valuable to know what triggered these emotions and what they suggest to you.
Take action: Rather repress emotions you can choose to take measures or actions that help you deal with them or overcome the negativity they entail.
Go to therapy: Sometimes it is difficult to deal with trapped emotions inside us. If repressing feelings has become a habit that is limiting your daily life, you may require the help of a professional psychologist to learn to live with your emotions instead of denying them.
Emotions are part of our life. For this reason, it is vital that instead of repressing them we try to understand the message they are giving us. Discovering the reason for these feelings can help us improve our lives and our interior.
