Journaling

I was asked by a TMS therapist whether I feel it when I journal and this was my email response to it. I would like to know peoples opinions on it?

Here it is
I just had a question to ask you as you were asking me if I feel it when I am journaling and I said much of it is intellectual however sometimes I do feel it. In Sarnos work and says to write down all of your past experiences that have caused anger or other unpleasant emotions. I was rageful when I was younger so much of my experiences I was not suppressing anything at the time even though I was punished as a result of it. It was probably not until my later high school years that I started to suppress anger and emotions like these.


So my question is this: I dont feel them because they were so long ago and as a result I no longer feel much connection to them so shouldnt I be focusing on things that stress and anger me in the now because then I will actually feel them?


And Dr Sarno makes it very clear that the pain is from repressed and unconscious emotions which means I would not even be aware of them. I have spent so many years in psychotherapy going through all of my past traumatic experiences and it has not helped me a bit in fact maybe been counter productive because of all the focus on past traumatic events that cannot be changed.
many thanks

Bowen

 

@Bowen
It doesn’t matter why or when you feel it, and “ sometimes” is a fine answer for your therapist.
You aren’t always going to feel things strongly, especially if you have already processed those things. You might also still be repressing.
For many of us the journaling takes time, our brain is simply resisting, and over time it softens.
My suggestion is to give the therapist your honest answer and leave it at that. Overthinking and trying to solve problems that aren’t really a problem is just the mind at work.
Sounds like you’ve been doing great!

 

This really interested me actually because my therapist is always trying to get me to remember past emotions that I have honestly no connection to anymore and it really annoys me because i don't feel like they matter to me. And the current outbursts of emotion that i feel are far more real to me and they affect my pain almost instantaneously which leads me to wonder why we aren't focusing on them.