Why Suppressing Your Emotions Hurts Even More

Rebecca Lewis January 12, 2017

Whenever negative emotions fire at you, what do you do? Do you just ignore them until they go away? Do you shift your focus on something else? Do you lash out on others? Or do you choose to contain them for as long as you can?

Emotional suppression is what many people choose as a coping strategy when they are confronted with anger, sadness, fear, worry and many other unwanted feelings. While it may sound like it’s the best idea¸ it’s actually not. In fact, it’s the worst. Research after research has shown that emotional suppression basically doesn’t work. As a matter of fact, the more we try to suppress it, the more we get agitated and tense.

Here are some more reasons why you should stop suppressing your emotions:

It doesn’t make them go away. You might think that ignoring what you feel will put an end to it. Well, it will. But only for a little while. that anger, sadness, jealousy or whatever negative emotion you’re feeling right now will come back sooner or later. And when it does, it gets even stronger. The best step is actually to make space for your emotions by allowing them to just be. Remember that you are not a robot or a superhuman. Just like everyone else, you are bound to feel negative emotions. You can‘t ever run away from them. So instead of ignoring or denying their presence, allow yourself to go through them. It’s going to be painful. But it’s also going to be insightful.

It takes you away from finding a solution to your problem. Sometimes, the recurring negative emotions are ‘symptoms’ of a much deeper problem. And the more you ignore these emotions, the farther you get from finding the best solution to your problems. A recurring jealousy over anyone who tries to make friends with your partner could signal insecurity in your relationship. Mood swings can be a symptom of an underlying mental health problem, such as depression. Frequent feelings of anger and irritability could most likely result from stress. Learn how to acknowledge and identify the unwanted emotions you are having. They could lead you closer to understanding the real problem in your life that you have to really look into.

It can cause physical illness. Yes. Suppressing emotions can cause physical illness too. Holding back what you genuinely feel can put your body under constant stress. As a result, your immune system gets weak and you become more vulnerable to various diseases. Emotional suppression also impacts your endocrine and lymphatic systems. It also puts strain on your heart, thus increasing your risk of cardiovascular diseases.

It makes you unhappy. Many people choose to suppress negative emotions because they simply want to be happy. That’s it. They avoid complications and simply choose to feel good than bad. However, the opposite actually happens when you try to shut your emotions as they can backfire and get bigger and stronger the next time.

Learning how to become more expressive is crucial for a happy and healthier life. If you have problems expressing yourself in a positive way, talking to a therapist might greatly help.

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