Handling strong emotions

[moonchild22]

Fellow aspies, how do you deal with strong emotions? Because I, for one, don't know what to do with myself when I'm feeling something intense like love or feeling hurt. Sometimes it helps to listen to some music, cry or write it down but there are things I don't want to write down because I'm afraid that someone might see it. And there are things that I REAAALLY don't want others to know about.

 

[dragoncat16]

I say write the feelings down, but in a different way. Write a story about a character that is going through what you are going through. Or a song. Or a poem. Or even a painting. Turn those strong feelings into creativity. Don't try to hide or internalize them because that will just hurt more and may even cause damage. Also, if you post your feelings on this site, you won't be judged, and nobody knows who you are anyway.

 

[WereBear]

I have found that Feeling them is the key to handling them, no matter how overwhelming or painful it might be.

After all, it is how I handle happiness, why shouldn’t it work for sadness?

 

[moonchild22]

I say write the feelings down, but in a different way. Write a story about a character that is going through what you are going through. Or a song. Or a poem. Or even a painting. Turn those strong feelings into creativity. Don't try to hide or internalize them because that will just hurt more and may even cause damage. Also, if you post your feelings on this site, you won't be judged, and nobody knows who you are anyway.

what if I'm not that creative?

 

[Bolletje]

what if I'm not that creative?

You could try keeping a daily personal journal. No need to write anything profound or creative, just promise yourself to write x pages every day. I started doing this 6 weeks ago and it helps me to write about the things that are on my mind, whether good or bad, and it calms me down. It's not going to help when suddenly confronted with intense emotions, but it might help you channel some. Other than that I'd agree with @WereBear, you don't have to do anything about the emotions, just let them be and feel them.

 

[Suzanne]

I write when I feel intense emotions and it helps enormously to make sense of it all.

Very hard to express when in the middle of an intense feeling.

 

[onlything]

Have you tried painting or drawing? Just pour colours on the paper in a way you feel like doing. It works for feeling like sadness and happiness. You don't need any skills.

Listening to music while sitting under blankets helps for some of my depressive episodes.

About anger? No idea. Never was able to deal with it, so it just lies supressed till next 'explosion'.

 

[Ambi]

Fellow aspies, how do you deal with strong emotions? Because I, for one, don't know what to do with myself when I'm feeling something intense like love or feeling hurt. Sometimes it helps to listen to some music, cry or write it down but there are things I don't want to write down because I'm afraid that someone might see it. And there are things that I REAAALLY don't want others to know about.

Find space to go and allow the emotional storm to occur - cry as much as I need to, write/journal/blog, call or email friends to get their feedback or to just have them listen. It passes, just like a storm - that's how it was for me.

 

[Uncertain ways]

I'm just going through the same right now. Feeling intense hurt and sadness. I first was not able to cry, but had anxiety attacks. And then I realized the anxiety attacks happen as I suppressed crying whenever some tears came up. I talked a lot to friends, mainly my best friend. I wrote it all down in my journal and since then I'm crying a lot . Writing helps to let it all out and feel them.

 

[ksheehan88]

Badly.