Not everyone may grieve the same as I do. But it seems to help me through the grieving when I let myself do it: release the emotions rather than suppress them, that is. The trick is finding the time and opportunity to do so. Usually I need some privacy so I can give it free rein. The funny thing that I have discovered recently is that I am able to allow myself the full-blown expression of grief through a hot flash. What? you say. Well, I wonder if this is what is going on. . . So I have noticed something happening when I get a hot flash: Im hot, restless, on edge. Lately, I have let it turn into an opportunity to focus on the feeling of missing AnnaLeah and Mary. It seems like the hormones then trigger a release of emotions, tears flow, and afterwards I generally feel a sense of peace and calm which were not there before the hot flash began. When I realized what had been happening, I began to take advantage of the opportunity more purposefully. And now that has got me thinking: Could this provide a clue for anyone--even if they dont have hot flashes--to uncover a strategy which would allow them to trigger/foster/create an emotional release or greater expression of something which they have been suppressing or putting off fully facing? What would be some other ways of doing this same thing? Well, obviously, I bet that most everyone has triggers from day to day which bring to mind whatever emotion they are struggling with. For me, in the grieving, things which seem to help it along are photos and videos and sewing the quilt squares out of their clothes. Of course, it can be a simple thing that happens to remind me of them. Catharsis: the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharsis Okay, this is interesting. Wikipedia suggests some other terms which are similar: Abreaction en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abreaction Closure (psychology) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closure_(psychology) Kenosis en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenosis Kairosis en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kairosis Check them out. And then, I discovered a new word: saudade, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudade . It describes a deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for an absent something or someone that one loves. Exactly. Describes what I am going through to a tee.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 19:01:08 +0000