Catharsis - The Double-Edged Sword

Even though catharsis was covered a little bit this semester, for some reason it really stuck out to me and it will be something I will remember for a long time. I think this topic really stuck out to me because the book says that contrary to what many people believe, expressing how we feel is not always necessarily helpful. Catharsis, or disclosing of painful feelings, can be very helpful when people use it to solve their problems, however, it can also be very destructive because it can reinforce people's feelings of helplessness, distress, anger, anxiety, or anguish. I find this to be very interesting because I have personally had other people tell me, such as good friends and family, to always express how I feel and let my emotions out. While sometimes that may be healthy, it can also be harmful. I know when I was dealing with my depression and anxiety, one of my therapists told me to "get it all out of my system." While expressing my emotions sometimes helped, I also felt like I would end up in a vicious circle of emotional chaos which didn't get my anywhere. If anything, I sometimes felt like it made me feel worse. It just took me some time to understand the feelings and emotions I was experiencing with my depression and anxiety and learning how to manage them the right way.