The “Teacher” called “Emotional Suffering”
The “Teacher” called “Emotional Suffering”
How you receive this Truth is the level of your current openness and receptivity. Emotional Suffering is the psychological resistance/ the psychological layer that is created through non-acceptance by the Mind. The Mind is continuously processing the external world (outer environment) and the internal world (inner environment).
The inner environment is what you are experiencing as thoughts and emotions/feelings. It is the inner environment that determines the quality of your life. Plain and simple ! Keep that in Mind : )
However, the Mind tells you the external environment is/has the answer to happiness. This is a fallacy based on an external environment that is only a temporary distraction and undoubtedly focused on the past and/or the future. For example, Mind says “when I have more money, a nicer house et cetera then I will be happy. Or Mind says” if only I had accomplished XYZ, then I would be happy now.” Drop that nonsense from your Mind : )
If you take a closer investigation into various Forms of Emotional Suffering (e,g, Depression) and the Symptoms/Signs (e.g. crying, withdrawal, anhedonia, negative thinking) almost ALL of emotional suffering is mind-generated and mind-perpetuated. Do not believe me. Investigate this for yourself. Contemplate and Meditate and Think this Truth.
The Voice in the Head of mind-made narratives about yourself, others, and life. The mind is suppose to be a useful tool, creative, beautiful, intuitive, and quiet. Mind is beautiful because of the paradox that it uses itself to understand itself.
However, people who are emotionally suffering have a “Bullying” mind to one degree or another. This bullying mind is a dangerous “Talking Head” with a running commentary of negativity, fantasy, and fallacy. Most people don’t understand emotions.
Hate yourself ; You hate another
Love yourself ; You love another
Most people don’t understand and are not even aware of their conscious thoughts, unconscious thoughts, suppressed emotional blockages, limiting belief patterns, engrained habits, and conditioned behaviors that are creating their current emotional suffering.
Yes, there is emotional suffering such is that from a death of a loved one, but overall, we cause our own emotional pain and emotional illness through our Mind. In fact, many physical illnesses are self-generated and perpetuated from dysfunctional circles of thinking and emotional energy blockages. An overactive mind means a sick stressed out body.
What you and many others who struggle with the unnecessary stress of the Forms of Suffering may not even be aware is that your whole physical, emotional, spiritual Being is negatively affected and if left untreated will become quite unhealthy and sick overtime.
Most People Don’t Understand the Truth to Emotional Suffering
Discovering the Truth of Symptoms—
Discovering the Truth of Emotional Suffering—
When I state “most people”, I mean the majority of the general population, including some mental health practitioners, hold the fallacy of treating Symptoms as the Cause of Illness. This is a misconception and faulty logic that the symptoms are the Cause of psychological illness. If one simply thinks, for example, anxiety is the problem then medication may be prescribed and the underlying Cause is left untreated. This root cause will remain as the illness.
Anxiety is not the Cause—Anxiety is the Alert sign pointing to the Cause– Remember anxiety is the symptom. Until the “True Cause” of suffering is investigated, realized, and treated. The symptoms will return and people will search for an immediate bandaid.
Unfortunately, because of the exclusion of investigating WHY the symptoms are present, people will once again find themselves on the wheel of suffering.
Quick fixes and the relentless search for immediate happiness in our Western culture has resulted in more prescribed medication and more physical stress and continued emotional struggle—And the cycle continues.
However, it does not have to continue. There are tools to break the link in the chain of suffering. You are already aware that something in your mind or body does not feel right. You are one step closer because you are experiencing the alert signals and searching for help and this is very good, very good indeed…find this first step as self-empowering.
In therapy, we will explore the Forms of Suffering: emotional, mental, physical, social, and spiritual as The Teacher and utilize the manifesting symptoms/signs as The Guides, like friends, to lead you through to wholeness emergence of your authentic healthy BEING.
Who Can Benefit From This Approach to Treatment?
Everybody. The brief answer is that we all can benefit from therapy. We all go through life’s journey of challenges, losses, and stressful situations. We all acquire along the journey some psychological and emotional bruises and mind conditioned patterns of responding that are often maladaptive and unhealthy for our well-BEING.
We all develop defenses and conditioned responses against unpleasant emotions and experiences. We all experience periods of fear, anxieties, depressed mood, and stress. We all struggle to fit in, form intimate relationship bonds, and develop meaning in our lives. We all wish for holistic health.
People come to see me for many different issues. Their issues range from specific symptoms and specific problems to a more general and vague sense that something is missing or not in balance or something is wrong in their life, but without knowing exactly what is wrong.
Overall, the most important factors for the ability to benefit from therapy are the motivation to explore inner-self, investigate habitual patterns and reactions of suffering, and a desire to change or heal some aspect of yourself.
How to Take Your Next Step
Meeting with a doctor who is trained and a practitioner of Western psychology and Eastern psychology can really help you connect more deeply with yourself, others, and to the world, deepen your sense of purpose, boost your health and well-being, create more fulfilling relationships, build on your success, pursue your passions, set powerful intentions, tap into and express your creativity, manage your stress and so much more.
You are infinite possibilities. If you’re interested in reaching out, I offer a free 15-minute consultation in which you may ask me questions about my services and we can explore if we’d be a good fit. Reach out to me. I’m here for you. You are not alone.
Thank you, Love Out,
Dr. Shawna Freshwater
