I HAVE worked with patients who have been deeply emotionally in pain for years. And I can remember them vividly up to now. Some think that the heart and emotions are only affected when one is suffering emotional pain. In truth, it affects the entire body and soul, which are interconnected.
And so, I feel that people should not regard emotional pain as less legitimate.
A person who is humiliated may feel sadness and cry the whole night. And upon waking up, body pains or malaise may be evident. Also, the person may decide wrongly that can eventually overpower him, and all of these can start due to emotional pain.
Emotional pain is an unpleasant feeling that originates psychologically, also considered mental distress. Anger, isolation, risky behaviors, and worthlessness are common. For some, emotional pain is unbearable.
I agree that life is filled with uncontrollable emotional bruises and pains. So, how do we become compassionate and kinder to ourselves when we are emotionally in pain? How do we overcome these possible rejections, losses, and failures?
It is truly more painful when we have so much inside us and do not know how to pour it out. Accept that we are in pain. When we hide emotional pains, it hurts more. So, please learn to acknowledge the possibility or the actual suffering of emotional distress.
Hastening to admit that we are in pain is not a positive virtue as it does not help us with healing. Hence, I insist that emotional pain be turned into wisdom.
Crying out may help. Emotional pains can be due to the loss of important people in our lives or when somebody we least expect hurts us. We must understand that we cannot control how people can treat us. Also, people may come and go, although it is hard, sometimes we need to say goodbye. And, in case that we feel like crying, do not be too hard on ourselves; allow the tears to flow.
Let us remember not to ignore our emotions. It is never a sin to express our feelings through crying; even the sky does. As tears are gift from God that can help us wash away ill feelings. So, please do not hold it back.
Do not rush healing, as it may take some time. Remember that the pain has crippled us inside. And so, we may feel so tired and exhausted waiting for when we will be abled. And at times, we may have mistakenly thought we already have completely healed. But still recall that emotional pain and feel hatred again, big time! We may tap our shoulders and say, “this is alright, and I am still in the process of healing.”
Talking to God is a big help for us to heal. It is alright and helpful to tell our trusted friends about our pains. But with God, we can tell everything without inhibitions. God hears our fears, worries, and aspirations. So, let us all surrender all our pains to God and allow God to embrace us in this challenging time.
Lastly, we must understand that healing is not being pre-occupied with hoping that the person who mistreated us will suffer karma. Because the thought of it alone is allowing them to hurt us once more. Let us free ourselves of keeping that poisonous grudge. And let the pain teaches us how to empathize and forgive. God bless us all.