Ouch that hurt! Can you believe that happened? These statements may seem like surface level reaction, but the reality is pain can effect us on a deeper emotional level. Pain hits us at the core of our being.

For years I haven’t known how to deal with pain. I’ve repressed, pretended I wasn’t hurting, ridden many roller coasters and attempted to feel it. None of these methods brought lasting relief. However, I am realizing that feeling them offers the most growth potential. My problem has been I don’t know how to feel intense emotions. I try to and then fear and shame override any other emotions.

The important part of feeling emotions isn’t shutting down, numbing or pretending the feelings aren’t there. It is sitting with the emotions and asking the question, “why do I feel this way right now?” Often times it is connected to a previous experience, environment, trauma or person. Once you identify the connection, explore the previous situation and try to determine what triggered you in the past and/or the current. Sometimes it is helpful to involve other people in your process, but it is not a necessary step to begin growing and healing.