Emotional distress: 9 keys to detect and overcome it

March 29, 2024

At some point in our lives, we have all had bad experiences or we have not had to live through traumatic situations that have caused us great emotional suffering . When we are immersed in one of these delicate and difficult situations, we may think that we are not going to recover, that we have reached the bottom.

However, we can carry out actions that allow us to minimize the pain and recover, even little by little, from the complicated moments that we have to live.

In this article we present some keys that will help you overcome emotional suffering.

Recommended article: "The 8 types of emotions (description and classification)"

Emotional pain and its characteristics

Emotional pain hurts just like physical pain . This is what many neuroimaging studies show (Jaffe, 2013), which affirm that the regions involved in the processing of physical pain are the same as emotional pain and social anguish.

This type of pain is a subjective experience, and unlike physical pain, the wound is not seen. There are different reasons that cause great emotional or psychological suffering: the lack of love, leaving behind a city and friends, losing work, etc. Whatever the cause, it is necessary to know how to correctly manage the change and to possess the tools and resources that help to overcome suffering in an appropriate way.

Related article: "The 13 types of pain: classification and characteristics"

Tips to overcome emotional suffering

Emotional suffering can appear at any moment of our lives, and it can last more or less depending on how we face it. In the following lines we leave you a series of tips that will help you overcome the pain that appears in difficult times of our lives.

1. Recognize the suffering

It is not easy to recognize that we are having a bad time or that we are not at our best, partly because we live in a very demanding society and in which emotional suffering is synonymous with a weak person. But to be able to overcome this pain It is necessary to recognize it before and not avoid our own emotions , because in spite of not being positive, they can warn us that something is not right.

When we do not want to face reality, what we are doing is chronic suffering and dodging our recovery.

2. Treat yourself with compassion

When things go wrong, we tend to be very critical of ourselves. This behavior does not favor our recovery at all. Treating ourselves with love is, without a doubt, one of the best ways to reduce emotional suffering.

We are not perfect people and life has its good moments and bad moments . Accepting this is the best way to move towards mental well-being. Compassion refers not only to treating others with affection, but also to treating ourselves well even though things do not go our way. If we accept ourselves as we are and treat each other with affection, we can learn from the negative experiences of life and suffer less.

You can learn more about the benefits of compassion in our article: "Compassion: a basic tool in our relationships"

3. Accept that there are people who do not understand you

It is easy to believe that others will empathize with your suffering, but it is not always the case, so you must accept it . However, there are sensitive individuals who will understand you because they are sensitive or have gone through similar situations. In addition, there are people with high emotional intelligence and others who do not.

4. Be honest with yourself

When we deceive ourselves, we are avoiding coping with the problem. As I said in the previous point, to overcome emotional pain it is necessary to recognize and accept it, and for this, first of all, we must be honest with oneself.

But not only is it possible to open up to improve mental well-being, but having the support of close people with whom to be able to converse and verbalize thoughts also helps .

5. Value the people who are there for you

In the difficult moments is when we can really see who is there for us and who is at our side. That is why, when we are aware of the people who really care about us, we should keep them. You have to be grateful , because not everyone will lend us their shoulder unconditionally when things are not going well.

6. Find the reason for your suffering

Once you have accepted the situation and are ready to face the situation and are aware that the people around you are there for you, find out what is causing you discomfort and think about the cause of your suffering. Maybe the problem has a solution, so it is possible to remedy it .

7. Attend an emotional intelligence course

Emotional intelligence is one of the paradigms of psychology that is more fashionable nowadays. This term, which became fashionable thanks to Daniel Goleman, has shown that it brings many benefits for people. You can know them if you take a look at our article: "The 10 benefits of emotional intelligence".

Emotional intelligence is composed of five elements: emotional self-knowledge, emotional regulation, empathy, social skills and self-motivation. Luckily, it can be learned. In our article: "The 6 best courses of Emotional Intelligence and Personal Development".

8. Do Mindfulness

Mindfulness is an ancestral practice that is very fashionable nowadays , since scientific research has shown that it increases the well-being of people and reduces emotional suffering. It consists of the application of some basic principles, such as: being in the present moment, treating oneself with compassion, adopting a non-judgmental mentality, etc.

To learn more: "Mindfulness: 8 benefits of mindfulness"

9. Go to the psychologist

If you have difficulties to overcome the emotional suffering despite doing your part, you can go to a psychologist. This mental health professional will help you find the reason for the problem and provide you with tools that you can use to improve well-being.