Poll Do You Have Difficulty Recognising Your Emotions?

[Awakening]

Yes, I drive my T up the wall by answering "I don't know" when asked "and how did that make you feel" or "how are you" or "how has your week been" or "what do you need right now?"

"I don't know" is my most used expression in therapy!

 

[Auburngirl]

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I often don't know, or will know that I was down for part of the week but not why. I try to guess, but it's like guessing why another person might be upset, I don't inherently "know."

It does feel like remedial "learning to feel."

 

[morgan]

There was a thread recently called "How do you feel today, not think but feel" or something like that. Anyway, I wanted to post in there so badly but I just couldn't get in touch with my feelings. The only feeling I could come up with was frustration that I couldn't post. Maybe I should've posted that huh? It's strange really, I'm not really numb but, I can't put my finger on the exact emotions either. Bahhhh!

 

[Lisa]

However, because I spent many years trying to not experience any emotions, not it is difficult to know how to verbalize which emotions I do feel.

That is me too. I don't know is also my most commonly used answer!

I always say that I feel "ugghhh"!!! Funny thing is that I'm a writer! I can write about feelings using metaphors, but when it comes to recognizing my own feelings, I'm at a complete loss.

I am so like this too! I am fairly articulate when it comes to writing, and I can express emotion via words (though I have problems with expressing within myself)... but finding those words to put the metaphors and descriptions to is difficult for me! The problem seems to be initial recognition of emotion. I sometimes spend a few hours simply trying to identify what I'm feeling and why, and then trying to write and express that. Then I'll change, change and change the words until they finally 'fit' and describe correctly. Often it is a backwards process... I start of with basic words, and work my way back into more descriptive words, then realise I'm wrong totally and change it. Sometimes I never quite get there, sometimes I do... but it is a lot of effort! Simply asking me "how are you" is the a painfully difficult question for me! I actually spend a fair bit of time before going to therapy trying to find the right words and expression for how I feel, because I know he will ask that dreaded "How are things?" question that I simply can't answer without preparation for it. If I don't try to figure it out before I usually just say "ok" because it's easier and I can't be bothered to go through the questioning to try to clarify how I am if I say "I dunno"... the times I have said I don't know, trying to work on what I feel, why, how I've been and why has actually taken up the majority of the session and I come away having only described my week!!

 

[spiritofnow]

I struggle terribly with this!

If I feel something I tend to second guess it, perhaps 3rd, 4th and so on! I like to ask a friend or just use them as a sounding board. I have found that as I post on here my feelings are revealed whilst I am trying to comprehend or explain something. This place has been good for me!

But yes I do struggle - when I was with my partner and if we had one of 'our' relationship chats, sometimes (actually a lot of the time) I would address what had been said about a week later. I am starting to see a pattern to this behaviour;

Trauma = delayed reaction - Emotion = delayed reaction. I seem to experience most of my emotions in a delayed response. That is when I recognise I have an emotion - which is getting better as I work through healing.

Spirit x

 

[nightowl52]

I would have said no 4 years ago but I have been studing me for a long time, using breathing , etc. to calm. I know the signs & it starts with a dull pain on my right ankle, that means I must calm down. The other is when I can't spell or remember the difference between their & there .

 

[reallydown]

I also struggle with this...A LOT! As many have already said, whenever the T asked how I feel about somehting 99.99% of the time it was "I don't know!"...and the 0.01% it was soemthing like "meh" or "ugghh"...Such eloquence, eh? It helps to know I'm not alone though.

 

[cypher]

I voted yes, it's difficult. Most of the time I don't know. I ignore myself, avoid myself if that makes any sense. I always have, and have no idea what to think or how to respond when my T asks. Really the only time I know what I'm feeling is when I'm very angry. Jumps from numb to furious.

 

[ChrisB]

Lisa- Emotions? I think that I am flat or numb. Yet I do have a memory of wonderful emotions but just can't seem to get their. The doc will say "Describe how you felt or are feeling?" Huh? I seem to have lost my grasp of language and am at a loss for words. I am willing to face my fears and hope that healthy emotion will bring color to my life. Good Luck

 

[brokenchild]

Sorry to bring this back to the top as it hadn't been replied to in a while. This is a big issue for me as well. I just name feelings I figure I should be feeling, but I actually "feel" very few emotions. Most people I say this to just don't get it. It was refreshing, in a sad way, to see others struggle with this as well.

 

[Marlene]

My biggest problems with emotions is that they are delayed (still!). Something happens and it takes anywhere from hours to days for me to recognize the emotions that I'm feeling about what happened. By then it's pretty much too late to say or do anything about an incident or issue.

It's not as bad as it was before...but not by much. A lot of my emotional reactions are still pretty new to me. Too bad they don't match up with where I am in life.

Lisa

 

[judyandsus]

Question Do You Have Difficulty Recognising Your Emotions?

I have no idea what I am really feeling unless it is anger fear or a mixture of both. I just seem to stay disconnected most of the time. So I would have to say I seldom recongnise any emotion in me. Great thinking question! Thanks:)