Emotional overwhelm
When your feelings feel like too much
There are times when emotions can feel so strong that it is hard to know what to do with them. You may feel sadness, anxiety, anger, fear or frustration arise quickly, or feel as though you are carrying many feelings at once.
Perhaps you have spent much of your life holding everything together, caring for others and trying to keep going. Yet there may be times when you feel overwhelmed by emotion, easily triggered, tearful, angry or unable to settle. You may not understand why something small affects you so deeply, or why your reactions can feel bigger than the situation in front of you.
This can be exhausting. You may feel that you need to keep your feelings under control, push them away or disconnect from them in order to cope.
When emotions have been held for a long time
Our emotions and body responses are part of an internal guidance system, offering information about what we have experienced, what we need and what may still need our attention.
When we have experienced trauma, neglect, grief or ongoing stress, there may not have been safety or support to feel what was happening at the time. Feelings such as anger, shame, sadness or fear can become held back. The body may learn to protect us by becoming tense, shutting down, staying alert or disconnecting from what we feel.
You may understand a great deal about yourself and your history, yet still find it difficult to be with your feelings when they arise. You may fear that if you allow yourself to feel sadness, anger or shame, it will become too much. These responses are not signs that something is wrong with you. They can be understandable ways your mind and body have learnt to survive.
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When overwhelm affects your work and relationships
Emotional overwhelm can affect every part of your life. You may find it difficult to concentrate, sleep or make decisions. You may feel anxious much of the time, exhausted from trying to manage your feelings, or disconnected from yourself and the people close to you. You find it harder to make decisions at work and at home.
For people working in health care or mental health, the emotions of others can also become overwhelming. You may be affected by the distress you witness, feel triggered at work, or find that you have little left for yourself when you get home. Relationships can become difficult when you are carrying so much inside.
You may feel ashamed of your reactions or question whether you should be coping better. But you do not need to minimise what you are experiencing or manage it alone.
Learning to be with what you feel
My counselling and psychotherapy practice offers a space to understand your emotions with curiosity, acceptance and without judgement. We do not need to force difficult feelings or revisit painful experiences before you are ready. We work at a pace that feels safe for you.
Body-based Breathwork may support you to notice emotions and sensations as they arise, without needing to push them away or become overwhelmed by them. It can offer a gentle way to develop a different relationship with what you feel, helping you become more connected to yourself, your body and your capacity for healing.
To learn more about this approach, visit my Breathwork page.