The cost of ignoring emotional problems

On waking up recently with a trapped nerve in my lower back, I didn’t waste anytime making an appointment with my Osteopath. The pain I experienced was so intense there was no way I could have ignored it. Yet magically, a few sessions later and I am pain free.

It’s virtually impossible for people to ignore physical pain in the body, yet how many of us ignore emotional pain? Months, years and even decades can go by with people trying to ignore feelings of anxiety, stress, depression and worry.

The cost of ignoring these emotional problems can have significant consequences on the mind and body. Even low level feelings of anxiety, stress and depression will quickly escalate affecting a persons sleep patterns, draining their energy levels, leaving them feeling less able to cope and compromising their ability to think clearly.

The longer emotional problems are ignored, the greater the impact to the physical body as gut function and digestion are compromised, the immune system is weakened and the adrenal glands are put on overdrive.

I see a lot of people who have tried to cope with feeling anxious, stressed  or depressed for years. Many of these individuals have developed ‘coping mechanisms’ of their own to help them deal with the feelings they have been experiencing.

Some have resorted to avoiding certain situations that make them feel anxious while others have used alcohol or sleeping tablets as a way of relaxing them and trying to help them sleep better.

One man I saw recently, who had been feeling anxious for a year was of the belief that you just had to ‘put up’ with feeling this way. After a year of ‘putting up’ with feeling anxious, he knew he needed help and left saying he wished he had come sooner.

Things happen in lives that have the ability to knock us off our perch. Relationships break up, people find themselves at risk of redundancy, issues in the workplace get the better of us and loved ones pass away. During times like this it’s natural for us to experience negative emotion in the form of worry, doubt, pain, loss, anxiety and insecurity.

However when these feelings continue to grow and start to spiral into other areas of your life, then it may be time to seek help. Just like a niggle in back, if you ignore it, the pain will only get worse.

How do I know if I need help?

See how many of the below resonate with you. If more than two or three points resonate with you, then it’s time to seek a helping hand…

Irritability: Do you have a shorter fuse these days? Are the little things getting on your nerves? Do you blow small things out of proportion?
Worry: Do you have muddled thinking and indecision? Are you unable to switch off that inner chatter? Are you worrying over things that haven’t happened yet?
Excess: Are you eating, drinking or smoking too much as a means to coping with how you feel?
Forgetfulness: Can’t remember little things lately? Or unable to focus or concentrate? Do you often feel like you have brain fog?
Body out of alignment: Recurring headaches, skin irritations, frequent stomach problems, tension on the back, shoulders or chest?
Fatigue: Feeling run down? Tired but can’t get restful sleep? Do you wake up feeling exhausted?
Illness: Are you suffering allergies? Or are you prone to more colds, infections and flu?
Feeling overwhelmed: Feeling apprehension over future events? Or do you suffer from a loss of confidence? Do you often feel as if there is too much to do and not enough time? Are you worried you can’t cope?
Thinking: Do you find yourself thinking negative thoughts? Do you blame yourself if things go wrong? Do you find it hard to think optimistically?

Take the next step

Experience being amazed at how quickly you can feel better mentally, emotionally and physically.  Simply take the first step and book a free consultation today.

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Sara Maude

Sara Maude is an Edinburgh Hypnotherapist, Solution-Focused Psychotherapist, EFT Practitioner, Transformational Coach and International Wellbeing Trainer providing in-person and online sessions. Sara provides problem-free therapy which goes deep into the heart of the unconscious mind to create powerful lasting change.