fridaynotes
Well known member
Can anyone recommend a good, clear book about strategies for accessing, feeling and accepting your feelings?
I have to say, I tried this route and realized no book can make it happen. You have to do the inner work and be willing to get there.. and I think some folks never do all the way. Stressing out or focusing on trying to feel emotions did not work at all for me.
Noticing when I should feel them was a start, then slowly telling myself it’s normal AND acceptable to me to feel them in my body has come next. Intellectualizing it with books just made it all the more confusing. Just noticing once or twice a day with curiosity helped my mind stop worrying about my ability to “do it right” - eventually I stopped resisting feeling emotions, doing so became safe. Basically the same strategy to lessen fear of pain helps the brain stop fearing feeling emotions. That said some folks never much feel them and become pain free.