Anita Parker

Emotional Roller Coasters

“Roller coaster emotions don’t just come from nowhere”. ~ Deidre’ Wallace

Life is full of unavoidable twists, turns, downward spirals, and significant inclines. Things happen, at times beyond our control, leaving us forced to adjust. As a result, we are subjected to a myriad of feelings. While we welcome the pleasant ones, we can’t just ignore the unfavorable ones. The question is – what do we do with the unfavorable ones?

Many of us have been taught to ignore or suppress negative feelings rather than to confront and resolve. It is this practice that leads to the proverbial “emotional roller coaster.” What ends up happening is similar to that of a partially healed sore with a scab that is regularly aggravated. As time progresses, the wound will begin to heal. What happens when the sore is picked at? You’re left with the pain of an open fissure that is in need of healing, once again. What this means is, every time someone or something occurs that is similar to the previous discouragement that you felt, it will act as a trigger. Every time that trigger is touched, the old feelings will be exposed, adding the current feelings on top of them. Basically, you’ll be fine and on the incline… until that trigger hits. At that point, you’ll be on the downward spiral headed to the dumps fast. Ultimately, your life becomes a roller coaster of emotion. You’ll experience some highs, but the lows will be just on the other side of the next trigger. Each low becomes compounded with more negative emotion due to the previous ones never being fully dealt with. The coping mechanisms – excessive amounts of food, drugs, alcohol, exercise, etc. – that worked early on will eventually cease to soothe you. Your emotions will deal with you until you deal with them. One of the best decisions you can make is taking charge of and dealing with your emotions in a healthy way.

We won’t all deal with things in the same manner. Do what works for you. What’s most important is that you heal. Let yourself feel the hurt, but learn how to move on from it. If you need to cry, cry. If you feel like yelling, by all means, yell. It may take some conversations, some “couch, pajamas, and snacks” days, or even some days of solitude to fix what has been broken. Long walks, for those who enjoy them, or car rides with no destination with your favorite tunes playing may also fit the bill. Remember that restoration may not be immediate every time. It’s imperative that you take the necessary time FOR YOU to get back on track. Don’t allow anyone to dictate the amount of time that you need. Only you know what’s right for you. The main objective is getting you back to working order. Keep in mind that emotions are a part of life. How you deal with those emotions will determine if you’ll ride the ride joyfully, with your hands up, or screaming.