It’s high time we started talking about our difficult emotions, those that scare us, unsettle us, and weigh us down.
Anxiety, for instance, can be crippling. Yet instead of burying it deep within, it’s crucial to acknowledge and express it, allowing it to escape from our system. When we suppress negative emotions like anger, stress, or fear for too long, our nervous system begins to operate on autopilot.
The body enters a state of defense, pulling us further away from our true selves. In such conditions, we often feel like nothing more than a spinning top, lost, directionless, and vulnerable.
Whether it’s anxiety, fear, or anger, every emotion needs to be labelled and validated. Suppressing these feelings, sometimes so deeply that they sink into our subconscious, can have dire consequences. Research now strongly indicates that chronically suppressing stressful emotions is a significant factor in the development of long-term illnesses.
Studies on chronic illnesses consistently point to stress as one of the major contributors to lifestyle diseases.
Yet, as a society, we cling to the belief that denying our emotions, even to ourselves, will somehow make them disappear. This toxic mindset, deeply ingrained in our collective behavior, encourages people to ignore their struggles. Occasionally, brushing aside difficult emotions might work if you have a healthy nervous system and robust coping mechanisms. But repeatedly doing so puts immense pressure on the nervous system.
It’s not a case of “fake it till you make it”, because one day, your body might no longer cope, and it will collapse in ways you least expect.
When emotions are suppressed, the body responds through mechanisms known as freeze, fawn, fight, or flight. These responses often build hidden traumas, for example,space trauma, financial trauma, scarcity trauma, and more, that lie dormant until triggered. Over time, this constant state of defense becomes habitual for the nervous system.
Triggers that remain unacknowledged or unlabeled wreak havoc when they resurface, disrupting our lives unexpectedly. Gradually, these triggers begin to define us, embedding themselves into our personalities. However, the truth is that triggers are controllable, with consistent practice, support, and professional help.
The need of the hour is to recognize and embrace the concept of a healthy nervous system. It’s equally important to know when to seek help and to stop shaming those who do.
Mental stress should be treated with the same urgency and seriousness as physical stress, for which we often seek immediate medical attention. Recognizing the problem is, in fact, half the solution.
Here’s hoping society realizes that the brain and body or mind and body, are not separate entities. Both need care, attention, and balance to lead a truly healthy and happy life.