Many people have had to contend with painful experiences in life. Death, divorce, abuse, sickness, and the like can cause intense emotional pain, along with a wide range of other feelings. Memories of the past can linger long after the initial shock of the event has subsided. Therefore, it is essential for individuals to express emotion over these incidences in order to move forward toward a happy, healthy, and whole life.
That which we do not deal with has a tendency to wield a great deal of emotional power over our lives. Withholding the expression of emotion has been shown to result in a myriad of mental and physical problems. Feelings that are not released are given the ability to fester and grow. However, when these feelings are openly and honestly dealt with in a healthy manner, they lose some of their strength over us. We are then permitted to gain insight and perspective into past events, and possibly, learn from the experience, regardless of the distress that the episode caused.
Individuals handle life’s difficulties in several different ways. Some have been conditioned since childhood to refrain from crying or expressing emotion over any hurtful situation, due to fear of judgment or ridicule. Others are able to express themselves with abandon, and do not refrain from allowing any emotion, from intense pain to extreme joy, to flow through. Those who are able to accomplish this tend to be individuals who have a greater sense of emotional well-being, regardless of the obstacles they face. They further realize that, although pain is inevitable in life, it can be conquered through acknowledgment and the passage of time. People who tend to ignore their feelings over the past can become emotionally paralyzed by it. This may unfortunately lead them to seek out any means through which they can keep the pain from surfacing, such as the use of alcohol and drugs.
Therefore, much can be said for the positive benefits of expressing emotion over not only events of the past, but also the situations which we inevitably encounter in daily life. Peace of mind and emotional balance can be achieved when we are able to boldly face the circumstances in our lives which have caused us to feel any number of emotions. Turning a blind eye to our past, whether positive or negative, does not serve us well as human beings. Rather, responding to the emotions that are calling for release can provide us with a greater knowledge and understanding of ourselves. Further, we are eventually able to gain a healthy appreciation for the past, and the lessons we are able to learn when we acknowledge it.
