Written by Charity Threlkeld, Staff Writer
She walks down the stairs and tears begin to fall. She is completely confused as to why droplets are falling onto her cheeks. When did the pain become more than she could handle, that even her body couldn’t stop the pain?
A teenage brain’s ability to suppress an emotional response is reduced, being one of the reasons why teens fear showing their emotions. No one wants to feel cast out or be made fun of, making it harder to bring up how a person feels. So many negative responses to teenagers’ emotions have made it more common for kids to hide and tuck them away. The longer they hide, the more damaging the emotion becomes.
Simply knowing how to start off with an “I feel” sentence will improve the situation. No one should ever take away your right to express your emotions.
Showing emotions does not mean a person is weak, if anything, it means they are so much stronger. Crying and saying how you feel, even if it has to be yelled to be heard, is powerful, no matter what anyone says, even if it’s your inner self. Holding in too many emotions at one time can lead to a toxic explosion. That explosion is when you pile those feelings so high that eventually they all come out in one way or another, and most times in a bitter way.
Some people respond awkwardly to feelings, and don’t know how to respond. But that needs understanding also. You’re not the uncomfortable topic, your emotions are. Sometimes you can have a horrible experience and never try again, but you can’t let others ruin you.
It’s hard to let people in, but once you do, it’s as if a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. There is always someone willing to listen, even if you don’t believe there is. Instead of thinking that holding it in is better for everyone, start to believe in yourself and how people want to help. There are a lot of amazing people that want to help and listen.
Your feelings are valid and deserve to be heard, by a friend, teacher, counselor, parents or all. You matter, but you have to believe that yourself for anything to change. Self love and self improvement are important steps leading to happiness. Simply starting off with “I feel” will make great improvement. It’s not an attack if you start off with how you feel, and no one else can tell you what you’re feeling, nor should anyone judge you for it. You are important and so is expressing your feelings.