The vast majority of people come to my office suffering from frustration, stress, or anxiety, which I tell them are not emotions, but body sensations created when troubling, vulnerable feelings are lurking underneath.  It’s like when a piece of bread gets lodged in a toaster and can’t pop up.  When the toast isn’t released it begins to smoke and burn. That’s what happens when our uncomfortable feelings get stuck. They begin to overheat and overwhelming body sensations of stress, anxiety or frustration signal us that something’s wrong. Those sensations are symptoms, not the problem.

 

Examples of feelings that drive these uncomfortable sensations include, but are not limited to:

• I’m not good enough.
• I don’t matter.
• I’m a disappointment.
• I’m powerless.
• I’m not lovable.
• I’m hopeless.
• I’m overwhelmed.

By identifying the underlying feelings, rather than focusing on the masking sensations, we can begin the process of resolving them and developing enduring emotional problem-solving skills.