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What is Emotional Flooding?

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Srain and Heather,

Thank you for sharing your stories of emotional flooding. Just knowing that I'm not alone with this makes me feel not crazy, but also sad that such wonderful people have to suffer with this familiar stuff. But I am learning that I am strong and wonderful, too, and healing is a natural part of life. Thank you to each and every one of you here who are actively posting, healing, and sharing! Although the stress cup is often quite full, the heart cup is on the other side of the scales and is receiveing a steady flow of compassion from each and every one of you. The balance is right for healing, for personal integration. Thanks!!
 
Although the stress cup is often quite full, the heart cup is on the other side

Hi Muse - I like the way you think.

The emotional flooding for me anyway - took a long time to work my out of because I don't feel the pressure of the tears building behind my eyes anymore where I feel like I'm going to explode and I HAVE to let it out. Then I'd cry and cry for what would seem like hours.

But what I am left with now is still being super emotional. I still cry when I watch Steel Magnolia's. I think it's an after affect from all the left over emotion. Anything somewhat upsetting opens up the floodgates and the tears start to flow.
 
Hi All,
I get emotional flooding all of the time. For me it happens most whenever I feel really triggered. I usually try to redirect myself out of this emotional funk. However; it is very challenging at times. The flooding can last anywhere from a few minutes to hours. It helps me to exercise and do grounding techniques when I am flooded. Then again sometimes nothing helps and I have to deal the best I can. Best of luck to everyone who is dealing with this as it is not easy.
Moondust
 
My T. says that when I talk about my traumas, then get emotional flooding or just emotional/crying, that it's normal to feel exhausted afterwards. She said this is actually good. Then, each time I go over it verbally and let it out, it gets less and less and less overwhelming and exhausting. Until finally, it is okay to talk about it and it'sini normal range emotionally. So far, I agree, but it seems like it may take a long time for this to occur.
 
Although the stress cup is often quite full, the heart cup is on the other side of the scales and is receiveing a steady flow of compassion from each and every one of you. The balance is right for healing, for personal integration. Thanks!!

I LOVE this...this touches my heart in the sweetest way and brings to mind that I must surely take a breath at this moment and remember I am not alone once again when I read these pages...how true this statement.

I know nothing until I share with another who knows pain.

Rain
 
The thing that gets me is how badly I've needed to work on this and heal, yet how traumatic getting help is. Just crying in front of someone and having to walk out with red eyes feels like being stripped and marched for all to see. It's aweful. It prevented me from further help. I fought and got angry and made excuses because I didn't want to risk it happening again. It's even taken a decade for me to realize that's why I did that. At the time, all I knew was I couldn't risk it again. Fear of male counselors, being alone with a man, is too much. Luckily, I respect that it's a trigger now, and I want a female counselor and Dr. only. I can work within that realm and feel at least a little safer.
I feel like beating myself up for allowing the emotional flooding to have the best of me.
 
TLight -I went through about a year and a half of intense emotional flooding. Yes, what you described is what it is............very overwhelming and painful.

It's like all the pent up stuffed crap, the anger, the pain, the sadness...........the horrendous emotional pain gets felt at a very deep level, and hopefully, released from the body.

That's what I have been through for the last year and a half. Hopefully getting to the end of it soon. Someone has told me it's all the memories linking up causing that pain. I think linking up memories sucks. It's like you have to go through all the pain again and then some.

I tend to get it for 2 days at a time currently, and then it goes away and then comes back. I hate those 2 days with a passion:cry:
 
verbally and let it out, it gets less and less and less overwhelming and exhausting. Until finally, it is okay to talk about it and it'sini normal range emotionally. So far, I agree, but it seems like it may take a long time for this to occur.

I agree with you because even after 20 years of dealing with this sh*t I'm still not there. Especially when it comes to talking about the details of the abuse. It takes me to a place where the emotions are so intense that I am unable to function and I think that's where the emotional flooding comes in still.

I remember sitting in my therapists office and saying, "if there were any benefit to talking about what happened (details) then the benefit would've paid off when I first started talking about this stuff when I was 18". So, you're right it takes a long, long, time.
 
The thing that gets me is how badly I've needed to work on this and heal, yet how traumatic getting help is. Just crying in front of someone and having to walk out with red eyes feels like being stripped and marched for all to see. It's aweful. It prevented me from further help. I fought and got angry and made excuses because I didn't want to risk it happening again. It's even taken a decade for me to realize that's why I did that. At the time, all I knew was I couldn't risk it again. Fear of male counselors, being alone with a man, is too much. Luckily, I respect that it's a trigger now, and I want a female counselor and Dr. only. I can work within that realm and feel at least a little safer.
I feel like beating myself up for allowing the emotional flooding to have the best of me.

I have pairs and pairs of sunglasses. I put them on BEFORE walking out. That way nobody sees me. They comfort me and give me a sense of protection, silly but true. The bigger the better.

I think I get what you are saying about having a man see you go through the emotional flooding. I thought it didn't matter male or female (I've had some wonderful male therapist in the past who have helped me very much) but reading your post and thinking back to a couple years ago, I am thinking for me it does matter with this. When I've been hit with it, I've taken to going to my safe room and locking the door with the fan on so my husband and really nobody can hear me. I remember the last tdoc I had and him just looking at me blankly as the tears flooded and my heart split into a million pieces bleeding everywhere. He said nothing, just like my husband and I could not stop, it just went on and on until tick tick...time's up! Buh Bye! No relief, nothing accomplished and all I wanted was to never go back and I felt worse than ever trying like hell to get out of there as fast as I could.

A woman makes a difference for me, there was empathy. my tdoc is express it to me, I need that at this time. I grew up in a family where my hurt and tears had a time limit and after that I was ridiculed, shut off, shut down. I have no idea how this plays. I am way off track here, I apologize.

I am trying to say that I believe you are on the right track and I had a similar experience without knowing it at the time.
 
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