Emotions are Safe

This is a foundational part of ending your chronic pain or other chronic symptoms. If you believe emotions are unsafe, the rest of the process will be much harder as a result.
The video linked below gives a technique for reframing your belief about emotions and what they mean about you if you allow yourself to feel them.
If you haven't done this exercise yet, please do. It's not curative in and of itself, but it will paint you a clear picture why you repress and resist emotions and why you may come up empty as you sit to journal or do your emotional discovery.
• How to Reframe Negativ...
If you have chronic pain or other chronic mysterious illness that doctors can't help fix, watch the video at: PainFreeYou.com This may help explain what is going on.

[@thatvegassmile]

I came to the video after I realized I was judging myself for feeling grumpy and annoyed…thanks Dan for the reminder. We’re just human right…and emotions are no big deal….indifference mindset

[@PainFreeYou]

Yes, exactly. Emotions ARE safe.

[@bryanwillson1615]

Day 4 of journaling. Can feel my back tense up by the end of 20 min session. I'm not aware of thinking emotions are dangerous but my body is obviously reacting to my thoughts whilst journaling. Will not stop. This is TMS. It's not controlling me anymore. Time to get on with my day now.

[@PainFreeYou]

The pain or tension increases during the journaling because the brain is trying to keep the distraction going and get you to stop feeling those dark and scary emotions that it has been trying to keep you from. You've got the right attitude. Laugh at the ridiculous attempts it is making to keep this distraction going.

[@beachknc218]

Excellent points!!! 👏👏👏 The brain is a master at deception and distraction. We have to convince it and let it know who is the boss (us) or it will keep doing the same.

[@annelohuis1]

Very Helpful! thnx! Are there specific excercises I can do to feel them? I know i have trouble feeling them. I am very rational.

[@PainFreeYou]

This covers several options: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWGnhGqBZa5-hdU

[@annelohuis1]

@@PainFreeYou Thnx again! I will watch it and gonna try it!

[@shrinkelizabeth]

Is it possible to feel emotions are unsafe without being aware you perceive them that way? I don't have TMS, but my therapist tells me the reason I get so dissociated and emotionally numbed out sometimes is I don't feel my emotions are safe. However, I struggle with this notion because I always, if anything, saw myself as someone who liked and valued emotions, so much so that I studied psychology in college and am now in med school to become a psychiatrist.

[@PainFreeYou]

Go through the exercise in the video. What do you judge about yourself if you truly experience an emotion you perceive as negative. In my case, if I got angry, it meant I was an asshole like my father. And I vowed never to be like him.