Why it is not good to repress our emotions

A few days ago I had a conversation with one of my friends about how easy it is for us to repress our emotions. My friend suffered from constant stomach pains, and the poor thing was living stressed between her job, which she hates, and a very toxic relationship that she had just gotten out of. So I decided to investigate the topic. The psychologist Paula Aroca explains very well in this article the effects that emotions have on our body. Repressing emotions can make you sick. We all know people who “keep” everything to themselves and very rarely show their emotions. Maybe we do it ourselves sometimes. The problem is that when negative emotions are not expressed, that resentment or discomfort accumulates. And at one time or another, sooner or later, our health reflects it. Our emotional state directly affects our physical state. Therefore, understanding how to manage our emotions when we are immersed in a serious illness can give us a certain inner stability that will produce greater chances of recovery. What effects do emotions have on the body? We can identify some harmful emotions: overflowing joy, anger, fear, anxiety, melancholy, sadness and authoritarianism. Over time, extremes in these emotions wreak havoc on our bodies. If the person experiences internal conflicts, worries or emotional situations that they have not been able to resolve, it is possible that some particular organs begin to express certain negative consequences. – Excess anger damages the liver. – Excess fear damages the kidneys and bladder. – An excess of joy, hyper excitement, damages the heart and small intestine. – An excess of sadness damages the lungs. – Excess anxiety damages the stomach, spleen and pancreas. – An excess of dominance and authority over other people unbalances the large intestine. Interrelation between organs and emotions As a reflection of the above, if any of the main organs is weak, the person will have a tendency to generate the emotion that is affiliated with them. For example: If your spleen is weak, you are likely to become a very sad person. Alcoholics and drug addicts who have liver damage can be people who express great anger. People with weak kidneys are often shy and nervous, or fearful. We are all exposed to emotional extremes, as life exposes us all to a wide variety of intense emotions. People die and it makes us sad. Other people’s attitudes make us angry and certain situations sometimes make us afraid. What can we do? Regarding the control of emotions, there are some activities that can be very useful to relax the body and mind, such as meditation practice, breathing exercises, tai-chi and yoga, for example. Acupuncture can also be very helpful in achieving calm emotions. Flower essences (available at health food stores) and homeopathy are also excellent resources to help modify rigid or blocked internal schemas. Changes don’t happen overnight, but with time and effort you can become a calmer person. And, consequently, you will discover that your health is improving. Negative emotions and thoughts activate the stress response and suppress the immune system logical. Positive thinking, on the contrary, “turns off” stress and stimulates defenses. By learning to understand and master your emotions and thoughts you will have greater control over your own life. And your health, without a doubt, will thank you. Of course, if you feel that a certain situation is becoming serious and that you cannot deal with it on your own, do not pass up the opportunity to have a private consultation with a psychotherapist. Who will know how to guide you properly. Finally, do you feel that some of the emotions you experience may be causing you harm? Why not try to make a change? Why not look for activities that help us achieve greater serenity and inner peace? Remember that this is about you experiencing the benefits of a change in your life yourself. You really have nothing to lose and potentially a lot to gain.