Have you ever felt a certain emotion but chosen to ignore it? Like many of us, you are guilty of suppressing your emotions, and it may not be the best idea. Your mind and body are connected in more ways than one. Suppressing your feelings may start to negatively impact both your mental and physical health.

The following will serve as a guide to help you better understand why we suppress our emotions in the first place, how it can impact our overall well-being, and how we can begin to cope in a healthier way. 

Why People Suppress Their Emotions

Many people ignore or suppress their emotions with the expectation that they will just disappear. Most of us don’t understand that we actually have to feel it to heal it. While genuine lack of knowledge is a common reason people deny their emotional experience, there are many others including: 

Defense Mechanisms

If we experience something that is overwhelming or even traumatic, we may unconsciously default to a defense mechanism, which is a way of protecting ourselves from the full extent of the experience. Some examples of defense mechanisms include denial and intellectualization.

When we engage in denial, we pretend the event didn’t occur or that it didn’t have an impact us. On the other hand, when we intellectualize the experience, we use logic and reason to work through it rather than allowing ourselves to just feel. 

Ego/Pride

Some people have been taught to believe that expressing emotion is a sign of weakness. This is usually a negative or skewed belief that the individual develops as a result of growing up in a household where the open expression of emotion was not acceptable.

As a result, they struggle to tolerate difficult emotions and often can’t stand the thought of feeling a way that they don’t want to feel. To protect themselves from losing control or feeling shame or embarrassment for openly emoting, they tend to suppress their emotions and act like everything is okay, even if it’s not.

Toxic Positivity 

Have you ever met the human version of a happy face? No matter how difficult life gets, they have a laundry list of platitudes to provide support and encouragement. It may be hard to believe, but these people may actually deal with higher levels of irritability and grief, as platitudes and a smile don’t address the deeper emotional wound. 

Dangers of Suppressing Emotions

As you should now be well-aware, suppressing your emotions may do more harm than good in the long run. Keep reading to find out just how emotional suppression can be detrimental to your health. 

Declining Mental Health

If you tend to suppress your emotions, you may notice that you are more prone to irritability, anger outbursts, or even apathy. You might notice that you withdraw from loved ones or don’t enjoy activities as much as you used to.

Some other common side effects of emotional suppression include stress, anxiety, and depression. You may want to consult your primary care provider or a therapist if these symptoms resonate with you.

Substance Abuse

Many people turn to alcohol or substance abuse to as a means of masking difficult emotions. While drug and alcohol use can enhance feelings of well-being or even euphoria in the short term, it can lead to feelings of agitation, anxiety, discontent, and loneliness as well as problems with balance and gait and speech.  

Cardiovascular and Respiratory Problems

Most of us are well aware of stress and its impact on the heart. Well, suppressing your emotions can lead to increased stress levels. Too much stress can lead to increased inflammation in the arteries.

It can also lead to hyperventilation which can cause panic attacks. Allowing yourself to feel an emotion seems like a small price to pay for improved health.  

Healthier Coping Mechanisms

Most people find that they turn to suppression because they are unaware of alternative coping mechanisms. It is important to educate yourself about healthier and more beneficial ways to work through difficult feelings. Doing so can save you more grief in the future. Some tried and true methods for expressing emotions include: 

• Talking to a Trusted Person

Although you may find talking overrated or it may make you uneasy to be so vulnerable with another person, letting yourself talk outwardly about your thoughts and feelings can provide more relief than you might imagine.

Having someone to listen or even provide words of encouragement serves as a reminder that we don’t need to shoulder our burdens alone. It also helps to validate that having difficult emotions and experiences is completely normal and acceptable.  

• Acknowledge and Understand

Although it is easier said than done, acknowledging how you feel is the first step to recovery. Have you experienced something difficult? Face it head-on instead of pushing it away. Acknowledge how the experience felt, the way in which it impacted you, and how you can help yourself move forward.

Some may feel weak for even considering letting the tears roll; However, this is one of the fastest and most effective ways to achieve catharsis. Give it a chance and notice how it feels to let it all out. 

• Learn Your Triggers

What causes you to suppress your emotions? Is it a certain person makes you feel uncomfortable? Is it a certain situation that feels unsafe? Is it a longstanding belief that you have held onto since childhood?

Understanding when and where it feels hardest to express your emotions can also help you to identify a safe space or person to begin feeling and ultimately expressing your emotions. With knowledge comes the power to change things for the better.   

Final Verdict

No one should have to fight an emotional battle on their own. If you are struggling and don’t know where to begin, please reach out to the therapists at Elevate Counseling today!