I have attached a note which I have adapted from the book by Pete Walker, Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving

Anger, depression, fear, distrust, sadness are a normal part of life. Somewhere along the way we have been made to believe that these emotions are shameful and should be avoided. Without access to our uncomfortable or painful feelings, we are deprived of the most fundamental part of our ability to notice when something is unfair, abusive or neglectful.

If you cannot feel your emotions because you have learned to avoid them, or you distrust them, you run the risk of misinterpreting situations, or something someone has said, or you end up putting up with abuse without protest.

“Perhaps never before has humankind been so alienated from so many of its normal feeling states” – “emotionally deadened and impoverished”. Small wonder today we have such high rates of depression, anxiety, addictions and chronic pain.

It is easy to love yourself when you feel comfortable with your surroundings and with your emotions. Psychological health means you can love yourself when you feel emotionally hurt, or angry, or when you make mistakes.

When we reach for emotional health, we can improve our tolerance to others and recognize when we do not need to accept destructive expressions of anger which are counterproductive to trust and intimacy.

Carl Jung teaches that our emotions tell us what is important to us. If we avoid our emotions, we will struggle even with the smallest of decisions.

Healing means identifying your feelings and learning to choose healthy ways to respond to them.

Complex PTSD From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker pg 31-36