32. Despair Helpless Hopeless

The world seems a difficult place at the moment.
War, Afghanistan, Extreme Weather, Post Pandemic, & the Economy.
More so. Issues coming home to roost. Climate Change, Politics Funding of Social Care, Pandemic, Economy.
The platform of our lives shifting.

To feel frightened and overwhelmed today in reaction to the world would be normal. If the world feels under threat it would be sensible to think its inhabitants would feel under threat too.

Under this present reality feelings of fear, insecurity, anger, vulnerability, overwhelm would be normal. To want to run, hide, scream might be justifiable reaction to the present and the feelings it evokes.

But these are difficult feelings which our psyche is determined to protect us from. So when we feel fear, helpless, hopeless we divert. That emotional muscle is unused, weak. So when we ask the muscle to lift the feeling weight the muscle struggles.

There are lots of distractions. Busyness Drugs Alcohol Sex Money Exercise. Keep moving to avoid distract.

So what to do? How do we develop that weak unused muscle? To slow down, to treat yourself as a separate being and get to know that person. What sort of person are they? How did they get here? What happened to them before to where they are today?

When we feel fear for examle – to slow down and turn towards the feeling. At first even for a 10 seconds, 30 seconds, a minute. Feel the pain, panic, fear, overwhelm. Like any skill it takes dedication, time, and practice. But slowly we get used to feeling difficult feelings, so that they overwhelm us less.

Our emotional compass is one of the psyche’s talents to guide us through our lives. A tool to tell us where we are going, and how it is benefitting us. Or not.

Copyright Adrian Scott
North London Counsellor Blog 2021
All Rights Reserved
Disclaimer: This weblog is the view of the writer and for general information only
This article is designed to provoke argument and critique

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