Exploring Suppressed Emotions, Anxiety and the Path to Personal & Collective Healing
In theory, it is believed that our tendency to overeat is proportional to the degree of emotions we suppress. Deep within our minds, there may exist a mechanism that sends a message, warning us that if we allow our emotions to surface, they may somehow annihilate us.
This phenomenon could be rooted in our early life experiences, where overwhelming emotions overwhelmed us to the point where we had to find ways to shut down our feelings and numb our sense of existence. But what is the primary feeling that humans try to suppress? Based on my theory, anxiety and fear serve as foundational emotions that are often connected to other complex feelings. These intricate emotions may include "fear of loss," shame, jealousy, anger, boredom, desire, and more. By delving into the core of our challenging emotions, it is highly likely that we will uncover anxiety and fear as significant factors underlying them.
I don't consider anxiety and fear to be useless emotions because if they were, we wouldn't experience them. It would be a flaw in our design.
Instead, what often happens is that these normal emotions, designed to protect us, become trapped within our minds. We lack the necessary philosophies, role models, and experiences to effectively process the emotions that arise from our life experiences. Some individuals are highly sensitive to difficult emotions, which can trigger deep anxieties.
Others may have a constitution that doesn't cope well with stress and anxiety, putting them at a disadvantage. Moreover, some people have endured severe abuse in their past and have not fully recovered, carrying the burden of conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While the term may seem scientific, it accurately describes the condition and conveys compassion. After a traumatic event, the natural response for a human is to experience stress, which enhances our ability to react and escape harm.
However, if the source of stress is repetitive throughout childhood or if there are numerous significant setbacks, a person who grows up hating themselves will accumulate so much stress that they will seek any possible means to alleviate it. This may manifest in seemingly innocuous behaviors such as smoking marijuana to relax, drinking wine with dinner, obsessively working on a project, gambling in a casino, indulging in excessive eating, or engaging in destructive actions like plotting crimes, engaging in violence, or causing harm to other creatures.
Humans are unique in their ability to inflict immense hardship on other beings, both within their own species and towards other creatures. In the year 2023, such actions are still prevalent, even though those who speak against them are often labeled as extreme activists. While I personally don't engage in street preaching or forceful activism, I believe in discussing these issues to inspire others who are more dedicated activists to take action. Admittedly, I am a lazy person who prefers to observe the revolution from the comfort of my sofa, watching it unfold on TV.
I sense a calling for activism, albeit at a slower pace. In my 30s and 40s, I would have been ill-suited for activism due to anger, hatred, or pride that would hinder peaceful movements. At the time of writing this, my conscience is clear. I acknowledge the mistakes I have made, with the only regrets lying in the choices I made concerning my children.
Nonetheless, I view my other decisions as genuine attempts at improvement. While I wish I had been better prepared to raise children and possessed more emotional sensitivity, I believe I can do better now, and I am actively striving for improvement. When writing about childhood and relationships, I make sure to clarify that I have not mastered these areas, but rather, I am experiencing my own awakenings and have contemplated them for a significant period.
My genuine concern for helping others drives me, and I wish to do so from a distance, as I do not seek the distraction of fame. I do not believe that this type of writing should be sold directly; it should remain freely available to everyone.
I, a humble pen, speak not as learned guide, Mere theory I share, truth may deride. These words, but whispers in uncertain air, Consume with caution, for accuracy I cannot declare.