Lots and lots of emotions out there, like lots. And they fall all over the map from positive to neutral to negative (with some fluctuating on placement dependent on the given situation). My personal opinion (and a popular one) on emotions is that not a lot of emotions are inherently “bad” or “negative” to feel, it’s what we do with that emotion that can be “bad” or “negative”. But there is an exception to this rule, and I will say, with confidence, that shame can almost always be classified as a “bad” emotion.
It is impossible to not notice the actions of others around you (friends, family, coworkers, acquaintances, strangers online…) and it makes it highly difficult to separate those actions from yourself when those behaviors trigger you. I mean I even get annoyed of people’s behaviors that I don’t even know! Just seeing certain things online or hearing about a friend’s friend I cringe over certain actions and so desperately want to get ahold of their lives and whip them into shape!
Your palms get sweaty, you feel that lump in your throat, you know you need to say something, but it just never feels like the right time. You don’t know where to start, but you know if you could just get that first word out it would all be better, but you just can’t. So, you hold it in, and you hold it in and then you hold it in a little bit more, until you can’t. And then you lose your shit and explode like no other either at that individual, or at someone totally uninvolved like the lady at Kroger who isn’t scanning your groceries fast enough.
No matter what the topic is, there seems to be myths out there about it. Whether it’s that gum takes 7 years to digest once swallowed, or that cracking your knuckles causes arthritis. Not sure why myths are created, or what roots these counseling myths were originated in, but my thought is that they were created by people who were afraid to take the leap into personal growth, and/or who had a negative experience in counseling.
We’ve all seen the word, or variations of the word within the mental health scene. We know someone who has been in counseling or maybe we’ve had first-hand experience with it. But I don’t think a lot of people know what should and shouldn’t happen within the counseling hour, and honestly, I don’t think that’s their fault.
