Day 9 If no emotion during journaling, does that mean I've already released those emotions?

[douggie]

I've had some traumatic experiences in my childhood that I've already spoke with a therapist about. Today I was writing about one of them but didn't feel any emotions come out. It was almost like I was just bored rehashing the topic.

I assume this means that I don't have any feelings left over buried in my subconscious relating to that experience?

Is the goal of journaling to find those experiences where I still have a lot of emotion welled up inside of me?

If so, any suggestions that have been personally helpful for finding those experiences?

 

[Andy Bayliss]

Hi douggie,

In my experience, yes, if you have no emotional response, this is pretty clear. The SEP is designed to "fit" everyone. If it was more organic journaling about your life, with an aim to exploring unmet feelings in childhood, you would probably go right to the tender spots. So when you don't find something that feels difficult or tender, you might ask yourself this questions: "What is it from childhood I don't want to feel?" "How did I feel hurt?" Then let the answers come, and explore the incidents and feelings which arise.

Also too, remember that even if there are not many conscious feelings present, the aim is to "use your imagination" as Dr. Sarno has written, to ascertain how your Inner Child feels about x, y, or z incident. A lot of the work is simply imagining, if you cannot feel much. Then connect the probable feelings with the symptoms: "I may not want to feel _________, therefore my __________ hurts."

Hope this helps you.

Andy B

 

[douggie]

Hi douggie,

In my experience, yes, if you have no emotional response, this is pretty clear. The SEP is designed to "fit" everyone. If it was more organic journaling about your life, with an aim to exploring unmet feelings in childhood, you would probably go right to the tender spots. So when you don't find something that feels difficult or tender, you might ask yourself this questions: "What is it from childhood I don't want to feel?" "How did I feel hurt?" Then let the answers come, and explore the incidents and feelings which arise.

Also too, remember that even if there are not many conscious feelings present, the aim is to "use your imagination" as Dr. Sarno has written, to ascertain how your Inner Child feels about x, y, or z incident. A lot of the work is simply imagining, if you cannot feel much. Then connect the probable feelings with the symptoms: "I may not want to feel _________, therefore my __________ hurts."

Hope this helps you.

Andy B

This is helpful. Thanks Andy. I really appreciate it.