Chronic pain (Beutler, Engle, Oro-Beutler, Daldrup, & Meredith, 1986).There are links between emotional repression and the development of physical health problems such as: The increase in cortisol that comes with stress (Patel & Patel, 2019) can lead to changes in heart rate, motivation, and sleep (Cote, 2005).įurthermore, as people who repress their emotions may struggle to cope, they may use unhealthy short-term coping strategies such as overeating, substance abuse, and medication noncompliance (Abbass, 2005). Just like a physical wound may fester and become infected if left untreated, the accumulation of unaddressed emotions can lead to stress, anxiety, and depression. People who repress their emotions tend to focus on their physical health and seek physical health solutions for emotional health problems (Abbass, 2005). Individuals who cannot view themselves as a whole, acknowledging both their positive and negative traits, may have an unrealistic view of themselves that hinders their ability to admit they have a problem and ask for help (Garssen, 2007). Internally, they may have a raging fire of emotions, bringing on a range of psychological, physical, and social consequences. Just because a person represses negative emotions does not mean their emotions disappear. Physical and Psychological Impact: Disorders Associated With Repressing Emotions A child whose needs were ignored, invalidated, or neglected or who was criticized or punished for displaying and expressing feelings may be more likely to repress their emotions as an adult. Traumatic childhood experiences may also result in emotional repression. We may orient our attention more toward positive emotions that are acceptable and tolerated by others. Furthermore, not having someone model how to express and cope with emotions may lead to the development of coping strategies that focus on avoiding and inhibiting negative emotions. They may have intentionally or unintentionally invalidated our negative emotions through messages such as ‘get on with it,’ ‘stop crying,’ ‘be grateful,’ and ‘don’t be silly everything is fine.’Īs children, we internalize the messages we hear and learn that having negative emotions and acknowledging them is not a good thing. We may have been raised by primary caregivers who never expressed or displayed negative emotions. Societal narratives and family myths may have dictated that emotions are wrong, shameful, or a sign of weakness. 10 Ways to Cope With Negative Emotions Without Repressing ThemĮmotional repression can occur due to growing up in an environment where little or no room was given to experience and express emotions.Signs That You Might Be Repressing Your Emotions.Physical and Psychological Impact: Disorders Associated With Repressing Emotions.
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