Every emotion serves a purpose.
The task is to learn to understand the purpose our emotions serve and how to shift from that primitive reactionary response to that of a rational response.
One person shares her learnings in a great article where she says so simply and honestly…how it was her unrequited anger that was the cause of her depression in this piece: via From Anger to Depression to Activism | Anne C Woodlen: Notes in Passing.
How true .
In the primitive response we engage in the “fight” response.
We argue, resist – we fight back when we feel unsafe or as though our saftey is somehow jeopardized we shift or engage in the flight response.
We withdraw.
When we can’t fight – and flight doesn’t work or we don’t see it as an option that leaves the only place for us left to go…the Freeze response.
This where we shut down when our internal coping mechanisms have failed for whatever reason.
When our external experiences have overwhelmed our available coping mechanisms.
Think about the abused child who just gives up and dissociates…becoming a chameleon to life circumstances.
Or the Warrior who can’t tolerate the nightmares of his reality and finds relief in drugs and alcohol.
The wife who succumbs to depression when she can’t escape her abusive marriage.
In general our mental health system has pathologized even the most basic behaviors of our natural survival instinct.
We as a society have learned and come to believe that behaviors of any extreme are a symptom – but not a symptom of a world desensitized to abuse but a symptom of some genetic deficiency that is supposed to be “fixed” by the quick whip of a physicians pen across a prescription pad.
Sharing from a friend who shared on Facebook….
Instead of talking about the unexpressed anger that was causing my depression, I was drugged. My depression was treated with antidepressants instead of active listening to my anger. We live in a society which does not want to hear anger. This was summed up by the inpatient nurse who said, “You seem angry—do you want an Ativan?” We go to extraordinary lengths to prevent angry outbursts and to maintain decorum. We want the superficial appearance of calm no matter what the cost.
Read the entire article here….via From Anger to Depression to Activism | Anne C Woodlen: Notes in Passing.
Knowedge is power.
Truth sets us free.
I found my power when I found the truth – that my responses to my life experiences were not evidence of some mysterious disease but rather were a normal response to some pretty abnormal life experiences.
Rock on.
Peace.
Solidarity and hope for a better tomorrow for all of us.
