The reason for emotional pain

Suffering the pain of loneliness, depression, anxiety, mood disorders or emotional struggle are terrible to go through. It is hard to keep going each day in this state. However, just consider for a moment that we could flip this. We could view it from a different perspective, a perspective that could empower us instead of being at the mercy of these states. This could be a way of pulling that dark cloud down from around you and letting the light in again. So, consider instead that this suffering may be a healthy reaction by your brain and your body. It could be a message telling you something needs changing.

It is your body biology telling you something is wrong, and your psyche protesting, screaming at you ‘you’re on the wrong path’. The more energy you direct toward this wrong path the more the psyche withdraws energy from the real, aware, joyful, soulful, sacred you. Continuously dwelling in the pain, without questioning it, will only prolong it and make your suffering more intense. And the downward cycle begins. Instead, the suffering could be viewed as a message, letting you know it’s time for something to change, that what you are currently doing is not working for you. There may be major life changes needed in regards to patterns, beliefs or circumstances.

And you may be feeling this pain and receiving this message in your physical body. It could come up as; ulcers, leg aches, throat constriction, heartburn, back pain or many more. As Louise Hay discusses in her book, ‘Heal your body’, different areas of the body represent different neurosis or health challenges. Another of my favourite authors, Eckhart Tolle calls it the ‘pain body’.

CASE STUDY EXAMPLE:

In the past I had a young client in her 30’s, normally fit and healthy (she ran marathons) but currently struggling emotionally. She came to me as she was suffering loneliness resulting in low-level depression. In our first session - where I always do a daily routine/self care check of my clients - she mentioned she’d had candida (thrush) several times over the last two years. But she’d never had it in the past. I looked into this more after our session in order to discover the emotional root this might be stemming from… and alternative, progressive practitioners pointed to it possibly meaning: A denying of ones own needs. Not supporting yourself. Anger at oneself over past decisions.

* So this physical manifestation of her emotional state, this psychosomatic link made sense over more sessions, and fitted my clients current self beliefs and thought patterns.

Once you see that this emotional and body pain are in fact messages from your psyche, and you are ready and willing to change it is time for some introspection and honesty. Or as I say; its time to ask the soul questions. You will know yours, it will relate to your current negative feelings and limiting beliefs about yourself. Some examples of deeper questions relating to my past clients-

“Why don’t I trust people?”

“Why is it so hard for me to love myself?”

“Why do I always react with hostility when people ask me work questions"?”

“Why do I resent family gatherings so much?”

“Why am I repeating this relationship cycle?”

“Why am I always raging with jealousy at other peoples success?”

“Why does chaos of an event/life/gathering bother me?”

Once you’re asking these questions, this is when you are ready for a shift not just a rearrangement of external elements. It is time to ask yourself what is this suffering telling me about myself? What message am I being sent from my psyche? Why am I stuck, I no longer want to be stuck, its time to listen to my soul message. Its time to summon my courage, look in the mirror and promise to look after myself from this moment on.

“Neurosis is suffering is which has not yet found its meaning” Carl Jung