They may engage in unhelpful behaviors to avoid experiencing those painful feelings.
This article discusses emotional acceptance and why it can be challenging for some people.
It also explores why accepting emotions is so essential to mental well-being.
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As a result, you may then do something to get rid of the feeling.
Running from your emotions gives them even more power the next time you feel them.
Emotions serve various purposes, including providing helpful information about the world around you.
They are clues to your state of mental health and well-being regarding your past and present experiences.
An alternative to pushing away or stifling your emotions is learning to accept your emotional experiences.
This is known as emotional acceptance.
Accepting emotions does not mean resigning yourself to constantly feeling terrible or wallowing in pain.
Acceptance is the act of putting down your weapons and walking away from the fight.
You are not resigning yourself to be beaten up by your feelings.
Instead, you are exiting the battle and making peace because you realize your emotions are not your enemy.
Another Analogy
Imagine you are trying to stop a bad habit, like using swear words.
Maybe you have young children and don’t want them to learn bad words from you.
It can be maddening.
This is the same way emotions become bigger and stronger the more you venture to stop them.
In some ways, accepting emotions means also accepting that emotions will change.
This goes for every emotion, from fear to anxiety to sadness.
Feelings are fleeting and usually go away within seconds, minutes, or hours.
If you find yourself feeling sad, it doesn’t mean the whole day is ruined.
You will move through many emotions throughout the day.
Why Do People With BPD Have Trouble Accepting Emotions?
Recap
Certain mental health conditions such as BPD can make emotional acceptance more difficult.
Why Accepting Emotions Is Helpful
Why is accepting your emotions helpful?
Wouldnt it be easier to simply get rid of them?
Well, no, it isnt easy to get rid of emotions.
In fact, many people have tried to get rid of their emotions with little success.
You have emotions for a reason, so you shouldn’t want to eliminate them entirely.
Emotions also help you end unhealthy relationships ormaintain lasting relationshipswith other people.
Ignoring emotions leads topoor decision-making.
Therefore, accepting emotions is helpful because listening to what you are feeling can reveal important information.
This doesn’t mean that this process is always easy.
Difficult or intense emotions don’t feel very good, so your instincts may tell you to avoid them.
With persistent practice, though, you might learn how to be more accepting of your emotions.
If you are still struggling, psychotherapy can also be beneficial.
Toxic positivitysuggests that people should deny or hide difficult emotions so that maintain a positive outlook.
It can also lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms that can hurt your health and well-being.
When you learn how to accept emotions, you take away their power to hurt you.
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