Tuesday, July 09, 2013

Healing Toxic Emotions

Being aware of the true nature of your feelings is fundamental to healing your heart. When you have toxic emotions, like fear, anger, or shame, you need to face and not run away from them. They linger on until you learn the lessons they're trying to teach you.

I remember Robert and his separation from his unfaithful wife. His feelings got out of control. He'd burst into tears while having sessions or have an anxiety attack when alone in the house. One minute he's joking, and the next minute he's too angry. These toxic feelings had no rhyme or reason. They just randomly surfaced.

After some time in therapy, Robert learned to quiet down, close his eyes, and experience these unwanted feelings as they really are. He would identify exactly what his feelings were all about and learn their message. Identifying and acknowledging his toxic emotions and their source was the beginning of his healing. He took ownership of what's living inside him.