09 Feb Let It Out: Why Repressing Emotions Isn’t Doing Anyone Any Good, Even Your Health

Sometimes people avoid expressing their emotions to protect themselves and avoid rejection. It can also be a defensive response due to traumatic experiences.  

Repressing emotions occurs when you subconsciously avoid emotions usually linked to unpleasant experiences such as anger, frustration, fear, or disappointment.  

When you don’t release these repressed emotions, it can affect your health, manifesting as physical and emotional symptoms.   

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Repressing Your Emotions and Your Health  

A 2021 study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic has noted that emotional repression is widely connected to greater levels of psychopathology such as eating disorders, substance-related disorders, and symptoms of anxiety and depression.  

The study also discussed that greater use of emotional suppression to regulate emotions would be related to higher levels of negative moods, such as anxiety, sadness, and anger; more risky health behaviors, including overeating, drinking alcohol, and poor quality of sleep; and lower levels of resilience, showing as lower feelings of hope and resourcefulness, less access to social support and enjoyable activities.  

Participants of the study also reported worsening symptoms of physical and psychiatric issues, such as smoking, alcohol use, and overeating after the pandemic broke out, as compared to before.  

One 2021 study also looked at the connection between emotional suppression and emotional eating, which showed that emotional suppression was associated with higher BMI through emotional eating and reduced fruit and vegetable intake.  

There are also physical symptoms that are connected to repressing emotions such as:  

• Muscle and tension  

• Headaches and migraines  

• Weakened immune system  

• Cardiovascular disease, like high blood pressure  

• Chronic fatigue  

Those who experienced childhood trauma, which can be a cause of emotional repression, have a higher prevalence of chronic diseases, according to a 2023 study.  

Is There a Way to Address Emotional Repression?  

The best way to address emotional repression is by recognizing when you do it. By recognizing it, you address the first problem of being unaware.  

Some examples of emotional repression activities include:  

• Going along with situations instead of expressing your wants or needs  

• Using substances to avoid exploring what you feel such as drinking alcohol, watching too much TV, and endless scrolling on social media  

• Spending most of your time with people so you will not be alone  

• Showing passive-aggressive behavior in situations that upset you  

If it is difficult for you to address this matter, there is always a choice to seek professional help.   

Therapists can help you explore the possible root of your emotional repression while also offering guidance in reaching a solution.  

You can practice doing emotional awareness by yourself by:  

• Naming your emotions  

• Let go of judging yourself  

• Make a habit of checking in with yourself  

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