The term “emotional wreck” originated in the mid-20th century, drawing parallels between a person’s emotional state and a shipwreck. Just as a ship might be torn apart by stormy seas, an emotional wreck feels utterly destroyed by their feelings. It’s a state of intense emotional distress that goes beyond a temporary mood swing or a fleeting moment of sadness.
From Shipwreck to Smooth Sailing: Building Emotional Resilience
- Nevertheless, it is the world we are living in at this time.
- So we have to learn how to deal with the world around us and not allow it to keep us attached to the negative emotions.
- If you suspect that you have buried emotions as a result of trauma and would like to heal, a quality psychotherapist is your best bet.
- When the body is exposed to stress, it causes the release of stress hormones.
- Riviera Recovery is a health and wellness mental health transitional living community helping men recover from substance use, mental health and co-occurring disorders.
When you have a story about something, the resulting feeling becomes like one of those birthday candles that won’t blow out. Instead of saying, “I feel nervous,” say, “I feel scared.” Instead of saying, “I feel frustrated,” say, “I feel angry.” Don’t sugarcoat it or soften it. Each emotional storm you weather can teach you valuable lessons about yourself and your resilience. It’s like building up your sailing skills – each voyage makes you a more experienced navigator.
Emotional Blackout Symptoms: Recognizing and Coping with Emotional Overwhelm
This is why it is advisable that people eat foods that have high nutritional value. Poor diet or consuming foods that have no nutritional value can also result in emotional wreckage in a person. For instance, when our food does not contain the essential vitamins that our body needs, it affects the overall functionality of the body.
Have you ever experienced an emotional upheaval?
Keep in mind that symptoms may vary based on the individual, type of upheaval experienced, as well as the person’s psychological coping mechanisms and social support. Some individuals may lack the psychological coping mechanisms as well as external resources to cope with their emotional upheaval. In this case, a present-moment upheaval may be overridden by an adaptive adrenaline response that serves to flush out our experience of “pain” to keep us alive. The elevated levels of adrenaline repress some of the intense upheaval that we experience, letting us deal with the emotion at a later date. Persons with different mental health issues are susceptible to emotional wreckage. Mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder can affect the emotions of people struggling with these conditions.
Many people have a tough time accepting that they feel stuck in a state of emotional pain, but the longer they fail to accept it, the longer it may persist. If you don’t have the money for a therapist, you still should talk to someone that you trust. Although a close friend or family member may not offer professional advice, simply venting about how you feel can make a huge difference. Dealing with emotional turmoil by yourself in isolation or keeping your feelings completely introverted from others will probably make you feel worse in the long run. Perhaps the best way to cope with an emotional upheaval is by seeking the help of a therapist. If you suspect that you have buried emotions as a result of trauma and would like to heal, a quality psychotherapist is your best bet.
Underlying mental health issues
- And even though their emotions are intense, it can still be challenging to accurately summarize why they’re feeling this way.
- We actively engage by choosing which way we are going, the world’s way or God’s way.
- A) Breathe—Sit and tune into the energy that you’ve located and labeled, and then intentionally send your breath to it.
- Below is a list of common emotions and symptoms that you may experience during an emotional upheaval.
This article explores what being an emotional wreck feels like, how to identify what is causing this surplus of negative emotions, and how you can improve your mental health. Although the emotional upheaval may make you feel like punching a hole in the wall or beating someone else up, realize that these actions aren’t constructive. The best way to deal with the pent up energy is by releasing it in a constructive, channeled way. When I dealt with my upheavals, I channeled my energy into my work as well as into hitting the gym. I certainly felt like literally beating myself up and others, but knew that those weren’t good long-term strategies. Art therapy, a type of therapy that uses creative expression to delve into emotions and enhance mental health.
Do not be afraid to use them if you suspect that they’re necessary. It is important to keep in mind that while the emotional pain may be intense and seem as if it’s never going to subside, it will eventually go away. In the meantime, you may have to simply accept it as part of healing or “changing.” Sure it’s not fun to deal with unpleasant emotion – your entire outlook on life may temporarily change. Facing them can be tremendously beneficial if you are prepared to work through them, but if you’re not, may cause a significant setback.
First of all, how do you know that you are experiencing emotional wreckage? Your current emotional state doesn’t define you – it’s simply a part of your journey. Unfortunately having high adrenaline isn’t optimal for health, and I developed high blood pressure and other health concerns. In attempt to improve my health, I knew I had to target the root cause – the elevated adrenaline and sympathetic stress response. However, in the process of reducing the elevated stress response, I knew I would have to face the unwanted emotions that were being masked by the adrenaline. The process of shifting from feeling like an emotional wreck to becoming empowered is unique for each person.
Be kind to yourself, have patience during this journey’s highs and lows, praise your achievements and do not hesitate in asking for assistance when needed. However, just because we feel negative emotions on a consistent basis is not reflective that we are emotional wrecks. It reminds us of the state of our current world, which is not our home. Wouldn’t it be great, though, if avoiding our feelings really helped?
When you’re an emotional wreck, these feelings don’t just stay neatly contained in your mind. They spill over emotional wreck meaning into every aspect of your life, affecting your relationships, work performance, and overall well-being. It’s like trying to navigate through a thick fog – everything becomes more challenging and unclear. However if you accept the way you’re feeling, release the energy constructively, and learn a few ways to cope, you’ll eventually feel better.
Emotional Upheavals: Causes, Symptoms, Coping Strategies
I’ve personally experienced emotional upheavals as a result of PTSD. My body couldn’t cope with the overwhelming stress, and it produced a high adrenaline response which accumulated for well over a year. The adrenaline levels lead to an endogenous antidepressant response, I assume as a result of increased dopamine, stimulation, and mental sharpness. This lead to me to experience an adrenaline addiction, constantly seeking out ways in which I could keep my endogenous production of adrenaline high. Feeling Your Feelings can be broken down into a 5-step process that will feel pretty uncomfortable at first because it’s the complete opposite of the avoidance strategies we’ve discussed. When we’re an emotional wreck, instead of avoiding our feelings, we can feel our feelings all the way through to completion.
It is possible for you to draw, paint or sculpt among other ways as methods of expressing feelings which could be hard to articulate through language alone. Support system is necessary for dealing with emotional wreck. It is very important to have a strong support group for your emotional health. This may involve friends, family members, a therapist or groups offering support online. A lot of times, many people resort to bad coping mechanisms when they experience emotional wreckage. Bad coping mechanisms such as using drugs or alcohol are not the best way to handle emotional wreckage.