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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Therapy, meditation, mindfulness, journaling, reading books on the same subject.

But also: insomnia, depression, anxiety, a few bouts of self-harm. That stuff is obviously not as productive but when you are talking about "excruciating" emotions, that is sometimes what happens. I have serious childhood trauma plus compounding adult traumas, and a lot of my feelings around these events are loaded with shame as a result of how I grew up, so I have to fight very hard against internalizing my negative emotions around these events and becoming hopeless or spiraling out of control.

One thing I am good at is not simply numbing. A lot of people turn to alcohol, drugs or screens to simply avoid these feelings, and for whatever reason, that's never been my impulse. I'm more apt to ruminate endlessly, but I don't hide from them. One thing I think has helped in this regard is that when I want to escape these feelings, I have a few healthy outlets that help me do so (exercise, time outdoors, and art, whether in the form of reading novels or going to a museum and looking at something beautiful). So I can still escape, but not with activities that just shut my brain off. Though I will admit to occasionally enjoying a mindless game on my phone during difficult moments to help bring me down, but I don't fully numb myself. I don't actually think I'm capable of doing that -- my emotions live very close to the surface and I think that's why they are often so excruciating for me. I think people who are better at numbing often simply don't feel as bad because they can't access their negative emotions as readily. Which probably makes day to day life easier, but I don't think it is ultimately healthier because this stuff has a way of making itself known, whether consciously or not.[/quote]

^ all if this.

I am going through a divorce and recently got a bunch of spots burned off at the dermatologist and getting regular Brazilian waxes just because it’s painful. [/quote]

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