Emotional catharsis: the importance of releasing emotions – Online Psychologists

In the emotional realm, human beings are a ticking time bomb. We are so full of feelings that, at times, they overlap one another and we don't know how to manage them. It's easy to express feelings like happiness or love, but emotional management becomes complicated when more complex feelings come into play.

You may have felt overwhelmed by your thoughts or emotions at some point. Dealing with anger, grief or disappointment can be such a draining task that it's not uncommon to encounter people who keep their feelings to themselves and then explode. If this has ever happened to you and you felt liberated afterwards, you've probably experienced emotional catharsis.

The Royal Spanish Academy defines catharsis as the «purification, liberation or transformation inside «aroused by a profound life experience.»

This term of Greek origin refers to a liberating process that, in the field of psychology, is closely linked to the problems, fears and harmful thoughts and emotionsCatharsis can involve getting rid of a major trauma, but also of a damaging emotion caused by a small gesture. Sigmund Freud was the first to use this concept in psychology with his theory of psychoanalysis.

Although catharsis is beneficial for mental and emotional health, it is essential that it happens in the right way. For example, It is essential not to harm others in your liberation process.n, as well as not hurting oneself. An explosion of anger can be cathartic, yes, but it probably has more negative consequences than positive ones.

All those emotions and energies that you feel inside youare part of your life, your history, your learning, growth, change… If you repress yourself and keep the negatives inside, your mental health will most likely be damaged. Those who hide their bad emotions are often unable to assimilate them and may end up living in a false balance that does not correspond to his emotional state.

This happens because, by accumulating a large amount of emotions, they have a paralyzing effect and prevent having a clear perception of things. Managing emotions in time is important because the human mind has a limit. If you don't respect it, it can lead to a breakdown and other mental health issues, such as anxiety.

That's why express oneself in a controlled manner It is therapeutic and comforting. Not only should you release bad emotions, but doing so with good ones also has a very positive effect on your well-being.

When you learn to control your emotionsfears and uncertainties and when you talk about all of this naturally you lose the fear of feeling weak and vulnerable in front of others and you stop suffering alone. The greatest suffering is the one you experience alone, without seeking help, understanding or support. For this reason, seeking support from your loved ones, or from a psychology professional, is a fundamental step towards emotional well-being.

In addition, emotional catharsis can cause physiological symptoms such as:

The Psychology professionals recommend avoid the accumulation of emotions and there are therapies guided by them to control these situations. These are some of the most important points that psychologists work on with their patients: