The ability to experience emotions is an important human ability. Emotions are inherently a special kind of mental processes or states of the individual, they arise when experiencing some significant situations throughout life. They should be considered as one of the main regulators of our mental activity, but people often do not want to accept their emotions and do not allow them to rule over them. However, many doctors are confident that this practice can cause serious harm to the body. Let's talk about what the suppression of emotions is fraught with, what consequences for the organs can be from this.
By the term "suppression of emotions" psychologists mean the influence on especially strong emotions (those that flow violently and are hyped) in order to stop their natural flow and subsequent destruction. As you know, the activity of our body is closely related to the work of the psyche. Accordingly, what is happening in our soul affects the state of the body: experiences are reflected in the face, and in gestures, and even in activity. internal organs. So, for example, with excitement and fear, there is an acceleration of the heartbeat.
Experts say that it makes no sense to divide emotions into positive and negative, each feeling has the right to exist and does not arise randomly. Feelings appear against the will of a person, no one can force himself not to be afraid, jealous or angry.
And an attempt to suppress emotions, according to psychotherapists, can lead to the development of many psychosomatic diseases in the long term.
What diseases can be caused by unreacted emotions?
Suppressed emotions can cause not only, but also manifest as (develop over time into a disease), or arterial hypertension and peptic ulcer of the stomach or duodenum. They can also lead to the development of bronchial asthma, glaucoma and psoriasis. Psychologists say that suppressed emotions can come out with diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, hyperthyroidism, cancer, and a variety of infectious diseases.
Attempts to force a child to suppress emotions: not to express their anger or rejoice more quietly (or later) can lead to the development of acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections, headaches and a runny nose. Such children often complain of pain in the abdomen and stomach, they develop tonsillitis, diseases of the throat and respiratory tract.
How exactly does restraint of emotions affect the body?
There is a fairly popular hypothesis that psychosomatic illnesses develop due to the influence of repeated and prolonged negative emotions. As you know, in our body there is both a sympathetic and a parasympathetic department. nervous system, and each of them is associated with positive or negative emotions. Accordingly, a strong excitation, for example, of sympathetic nerves when exposed to emotions, causes them to affect certain organs and tissues. As a result, this leads to a deterioration in the supply of cells with nutrients, toxic substances gradually accumulate in the body and cause various ailments of the gastrointestinal tract, heart and blood vessels, lungs, skin, brain, etc.
There is another theory of the connection of unexpressed emotions with illnesses: somatic symptoms arise in response to the suppression of the external expression of the emotions that have arisen. For example, when a person is angry, blood sugar and blood pressure increase normally. And with restraint of emotions, the autonomic nervous system is not able to normalize: sugar and pressure remain elevated. So the suppression of aggression can result in the development of hypertension.
Psychosomatic illnesses can arise as a result of the suppression of completely natural emotions that are not approved by society, as well as due to the dissatisfaction of the most important needs of the body. After all, emotion can signal the appearance of some kind of need in our body. Thus, for example, hunger often causes anger, which is necessary for the undertaking of active actions to satisfy this need.
Suppressed emotions, especially aggression, begin to accumulate, and the body can direct them towards itself. As a result, a person develops chronic muscle tension, and corresponding pain occurs. Emotional discord leads to irritation, then to confusion, then to apathy, then to inaction. And a person loses opportunities for personal growth, and just a happy life.
chronic fatigue syndrome
Scientists at King's College London came to the conclusion that under conditions of stress, people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome are able to actively resist the influence of external irritating factors. At the same time, their fatigue increases by an order of magnitude. Further research has shown that it is most often diagnosed in people who tend to suppress their emotions and worries. During the study, their body reported activation of the sympathetic nervous system in response to stress (skin conductivity, sweat volume, etc.), but almost none of the subjects reported their experiences. And it was they who in the vast majority had chronic pain of various types.
A qualified psychotherapist will help to cope with suppressed emotions and their negative impact on the body. It is impossible to do without the help of this doctor and, if necessary, treat psychosomatic diseases.
Folk recipe for nervousness
To somewhat mitigate the impact of negative emotions on the body, you can resort to natural remedies.
So if you need to relax, eliminate excessive nervousness and other unpleasant symptoms of stress, prepare one hundred grams of young birch leaves. Grind them well and pour half a liter of warm pre-boiled water. Infuse the medicine under the lid for five to six hours, then strain, and squeeze the plant material. Take the finished medicine for half a glass twice or thrice a day about half an hour before a meal.
Signs of repressed feelings
You might be thinking, “But if the suppression of emotions happens almost unconsciously, how do I know if I’m suppressing them?”
In addition to painful physical symptoms, certain psychological problems are indicators of repressed emotions. Here are some characteristics of people who have been used to suppressing their feelings for a long time, sometimes from early childhood:
perfectionism
The desire to do everything in life "perfectly well" - because then you will not have to suffer from failures, criticism or rejection.
Passion for control
The desire to fully control both one's own life and the lives of others. The illusion of power over oneself, people and life gives hope that not a single uninvited, unwanted feeling will violate the inner world of the “controller”.
Self-doubt and self-condemnation
As a rule, people who are used to suppressing their feelings grew up in a dysfunctional environment, did not receive the necessary love, and experienced rejection. Often in childhood they were deprived of an atmosphere of safety and family warmth. As a result, they entered adulthood with low self-esteem and a denial of their own worth. These beliefs persist for a long time, even if a person achieves a lot later.
A deeply rooted sense of insignificance and inferiority often manifests itself in self-doubt. Such people tend to avoid decisive action and depreciate their decisions. They are afraid to set goals and make choices, especially if they have made real or imaginary mistakes in the past.
They are also characterized by a tendency to excessive self-criticism: cruel ridicule of their shortcomings, rejection of praise, habitual condemnation of themselves for the slightest mistakes and shortcomings. It is difficult for such people to accept new things. They immediately, without even delving into the idea and not evaluating the new opportunities, say: "I don't know."
When meeting new people or finding themselves in unfamiliar surroundings, they hush up and try to stay in the background.
Cynicism and evil irony
Sometimes people who suppress their feelings take a cynical position in relation to the world around them - they criticize everything and everyone, ironically, devalue important concepts, achieving great skill in this. Cynicism helps them avoid feelings of rejection, resentment, and other difficult experiences, because in this way they divert their own attention from themselves and from their internal problems.
Promiscuous sexual relations
At first glance, the connection between repressed feelings and sexual promiscuity is not visible. However, many people with low self-esteem go out of their way to please others and thereby earn love. They seek love not where it can be received, and not from those who are able to give it. Promiscuous sex life is often characteristic of people who were not loved in childhood: as adults, they desperately try to create an atmosphere of security and warmth for themselves. The cause of promiscuity can also be an unconscious desire to "take revenge" after the breakup of a marriage.
Unexpected outbursts of feelings (heightened emotionality)
Ask yourself:
Am I overreacting to the daily little things in life? Does it happen that when I hear a song, I cry? Does the smell of some perfume disturb or confuse me?
Do I have flashbacks or nightmares about traumatic events in the past, such as violence or divorce?
Does it happen that when I see a person or a photograph, I suddenly flare up, become numb or feel deep sadness?
Keep in mind that if you experience strong feelings in response to moderate stimuli, then they want to tell you something. One of my patients told me that the smell of mint infuriated her. She had the hardest time at Christmas - the smell of mints (traditional American sweets) followed her everywhere. What was the matter? Talking about her life, this woman suddenly remembered that in her childhood she was regularly sexually harassed by her uncle. Every time he pestered her in the living room. The girl looked away so as not to see anything, and looked only at the pot of mint, which was on the table next to the sofa. Not surprisingly, the smell of mint evoked deep-seated feelings in her: anger, bitterness, and resentment.
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Love is a bright, all-consuming state, which is given to every person to know. Thoughts about a loved one, a desire to move mountains for him, to sacrifice time and health, not for something, but just like that ... These feelings fill a person with energy, a desire to live, attracting new, interesting people into his life.
But when love remains unrequited, such a state causes pain and awakens jealousy, which means that it is necessary to get rid of it. How to kill the love for a person in yourself?
What techniques does psychology offer?
It is not easy to get rid of unrequited love, but it is still worth trying to do it. In such cases, psychology offers its own methods for getting rid of this feeling, which have a hidden, clearly structured plan.
Psychology claims that the main mistake in getting rid of love is the perception of a person. Before you fight this feeling, you should understand what caused it. So, the cause of attachment can be a lack of attention and care in childhood, an unmet sexual need, and even parental abuse.
Often, wanting to get rid of these emotions, on a subconscious level, people try to return them. As a rule, unrequited love makes a person pay attention to his appearance, so that the partner who refused him reciprocity would realize who he refused. And although this decision seems to be correct, the psychology that underlies this act plays a cruel joke with its owner. Subconsciously, a person still seeks to return love, causing jealousy in a partner. Such a lie is unlikely to bring the desired result.
An effective psychological technique is self-hypnosis. To put it into practice, it is worth mentally scrolling through all the bad and good moments that you experience for a person, imagining that these sensations are concentrated in the hand. After waiting for them to gather into a single object, it is necessary to “throw” them out the window or “break” them with a fist.
It is recommended to strengthen internal work with the subconscious by changing the external environment - by changing the lifestyle, creating favorable conditions that help smooth out the negative impact of unrequited love. The farther the object is, the easier it is to kill love for a man, so you should not look for reasons to meet.
It has been noticed that even a short separation kills love, reducing dependence on a partner, especially when an understanding of the meaninglessness of relationships comes. You also don’t need to keep joint things in plain sight: it’s better to hide the photos in a box, and be sure to delete the phone number. This technique has a curious effect: the invisibility of contact sets the psyche to erase information about the chosen one, helping to kill unrequited affection.
No less important in this matter is the work with thoughts: instead of falling into despair and experiencing jealousy, it is better to switch to work that requires concentration. Physical activity will kill negative thoughts, and fatigue is the best remedy for insomnia. Looking at the situation from the point of view of psychology, you will be able to find flaws that you did not notice before: perhaps he is too jealous, quick-tempered or greedy. However, you should not concentrate on the negative: after completing this exercise, it is easier to realize that the partner is also imperfect.
There are situations when a person, choosing silence, withdraws into himself, falling into depression: in this case, you need to contact a psychologist, sharing your problem in a private conversation. Only then will a specialist be able to provide qualified assistance.
Behavior change
When a feeling has no further continuation, a lot of free time and space in the heart is freed up: it needs to be occupied with interesting things - new or long-forgotten, but always bringing joy and requiring attention. Expanding the circle of communication, you should not be alone with your thoughts: an interesting hobby and physical activity will help get rid of this state.
Sports and dancing are an effective remedy against jealousy and negative emotions that will not allow you to fall into depression.
It is important to maintain a positive mood in yourself: listen to pleasant music, visit public places, spend free time with friends.
A new attachment can get rid of negative experiences: the main thing is not to get involved in the search for a serious relationship or fleeting dates. Let everything happen by itself: it is much more pleasant to enjoy the moment than to make plans that may not come true. A new relationship is what will help kill old love, heartache and jealousy. However, you should not look for a person who looks like a former chosen one: this will cause unpleasant memories and lead to previous mistakes.
Let go of love
To let go means not to accumulate resentment, anger, a feeling of pity and jealousy in your soul: despite the fact that this is not easy, you need to stop thinking about the bad. The end result of this exercise should be the following: despite the fact that love was not mutual, forgive and let go of the feeling of pain and past grievances. To avoid disappointment, it is worth killing the desire to provoke jealousy in yourself by making every effort to forget your partner. Forgiveness will help you move to a new stage in the relationship and give a sense of peace of mind and completeness of the situation.
The manifestation of emotions is an integral part of the psychological portrait of every person. There are no unemotional people, only those who, for some reason, hide or hold back their true feelings. In the eyes of others, such individuals look extremely closed and detached, causing mistrust and even fear. And all because emotional reactions are very difficult to control the mind, it is even possible to realize them only after the experiences subside. So for the deliberate concealment of mood, its disguise behind a demonstration of composure, there must be really good reasons.
For example, the suppression of negative emotions such as anger or resentment may well be explained by the desire to maintain a reputation or protect loved ones from unnecessary unrest. The internal struggle with sensual attachment or emotional dependence can also seem like a laudable act of self-denial. But is it always worth trying to take control of the psychological mechanisms created by nature? And won't this later turn into even more trouble than a strong but short-lived outburst of passions?
Do you need to kill your emotions?
Emotions are conceived by nature as natural indicators and at the same time regulators of the state of the human nervous system. Even if you learn to control them at will, you can control no more than 10% of these reactions. Everything else will remain in the realm of subconscious processes and will continue to manifest itself somatically. Inept suppression of emotions can threaten various physiological abnormalities, up to chronic diseases.
At the same time, blindly following your emotions is a sign of moral immaturity and irresponsibility to others. An overly nervous, exalted person, who does not give himself the trouble to control his momentary reactions, makes an unpleasant impression and prompts you to reduce communication with him to a minimum. So where is the golden mean, which determines which emotions can be freely expressed and which should be strictly restrained? At first glance, it may seem that negative emotions need to be controlled, and positive emotions need to be demonstrated. However, their classification is actually much more complicated.
Psychologists divide emotions not into “good” and “bad”, but into constructive and destructive. And this characteristic to a large extent depends on the situation and the person who shows his feelings. Roughly speaking, in different circumstances, the same emotion can be both desirable and vice versa. In order to identify it as the first or second, you must first at least be aware of what is happening, and most emotional reactions are accompanied by a state akin to affect, when common sense does not take part in what is happening. Therefore, many overly emotional people who recognize this feature for themselves turn to specialists for help.
Fortunately, most people are able to independently manage their feelings, or at least most of them. This is the main sign of constructiveness in emotional manifestations. As long as your emotions do not harm you or others and are comprehensible, they can be considered constructive and let out. You need to work and restrain those passions that are stronger than you, and instead of subordinating to your will, they themselves subjugate your behavior. If in a calm state you would not want to do what to do in a fit of emotions, then you depend on these feelings, and instead of discharge and satisfaction, they harm, and not only you.
How to Suppress and/or Control Emotions
So, when it became approximately clear what kind of emotions should be fought, let's move on to the second, no less important question. What is the suppression of emotions and what is control over them? What action is preferable in most life situations? Oddly enough, the answer can be given quickly and concisely: reasonable control is always preferable to any pressure. Especially in such a subtle area as psychological reactions.
To kill emotions means to deny your body the natural reactions to what is happening, even if these reactions are necessary for it to protect itself. Therefore, where better to be not a "killer", but the master of the situation and try to manage it. To do this, you will have to pull yourself together and take a number of difficult, but necessary actions. Over time, they will begin to be given to you more and more easily and, perhaps, even move into the category of automatic skills. 
Choose one or more of the above emotional state management techniques so that you can use your new skill at the earliest opportunity. Its benefits are undeniable and will save you not only from exhausting experiences, but also from other negative consequences associated with communication. Most emotional outbursts are subject to you when you do it. This does not require alcohol or psychotropic drugs, the use of which is generally highly undesirable and is allowed only on prescription and under the supervision of a doctor. Be calm, balanced and keep peace in your soul and thoughts.
