Dealing With Painful Emotions | Finger Trap #shorts

you know how with a chinese finger trap

the most natural response is to pull

away right but when you do

the trap tightens and it becomes

impossible to escape well something i

talk to people about in therapy is that

dealing with painful feelings is much

the same so let's say you feel anxious

you escape and then avoid the things

that make you feel anxious so that you

can feel safe

or when you're overwhelmed with a deep

sadness you might stay busy or eat or

drink to block it out

when you do that the emotion that you're

trying to escape tightens its grip on

your life because then you have to make

your decisions based on the things you

don't want to feel

but something people learn in therapy is

that when we turn towards those feelings

and we're willing to be in that space

then the trap widens and you get this

wiggle room

then you get to choose when to be with

that feeling

and when to step away from it without

having to fight your way free