48 - Fighting Feelings, Beating Anxiety, Conquering Depression. - Why all these expressions aren’t helpful!

Fighting Feelings, Beating Anxiety, Conquering Depression. - Why all these expressions aren’t helpful! Whenever we resist our feelings, we actually give them more power over us and usually end up suffering more. Fighting feelings, beating anxiety, conquering depression - all very tough adversarial phrases that conjure up our emotions as some enemy to be beaten on the battlefield. What this implies is that if our feelings get the best of us (or even if we just feel them intensely) it’s because we’re somehow weak and unable to fight them off. This adds an element of shame on top of our anxiety, lack of motivation or general uneasiness. Shame keeps our feelings hidden, and they grow in the dark. So we’re less likely to be vulnerable with someone we can trust, take that act of courage and admit we need help or someone to talk to. Feelings, while often unpleasant and sometimes overwhelming, are not to be fought. Whatever you resist grows in intensity. Feelings are signals that some need isn’t being met. If we co-opt them as signals for our benefit, we’re no longer suffering from them but working with them to make our lives better.