The dangers of 'hiding' from your own feelings

"There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." Anais Nin

One of the most common coping strategies to deal with painful thoughts and feelings is 'repression' ... or what is more commonly referred to as "putting your head in the sand".

Repression can serve an important and healthy function. It can shield us from emotional pain that we're not ready or not yet strong enough to face. However there comes a time in everyone's life when getting in touch with your feelings is less painful or less destructive than pushing them away. That's because with time, the mind gets tired of hiding things from itself.

We start to use other coping methods to sustain this state of repression:

denial . displacement . distancing . resistance . and acting out through such activities as overeating . under eating . misusing alcohol . drugs . gambling . shopping . anger . anxiety . and more...

The antidote to repression is Expression - opening up to someone you trust and allowing your thoughts and feelings to emerge. This is not an overnight solution. It's a process that takes time, gentle exploration, and a willingness to trust the process and the professional that you're working with.

The more you allow yourself to iron out the 'creases' of your mind, and gain a greater understanding of how your thought patterns have been created, the more likely you are to make better choices in your life and ultimately find a sense of peace, calm and purpose.