Negative emotions are human!

Sounds like something a therapist would say. Actually, the usual line is something like “if there’s a bear, negative emotions are very helpful”. (It’s always a bear; never a mugger or a giant rolling boulder. I don’t make the rules)

It’s hard to say over the internet, but either you’re in a crowd where they overuse that line, or your emotions have grown to become unhelpful in your life.

every negative emotion you have, someone tells you to go to therapy? I see two options: you are either having a lot of extreme overreactions that make bystanders uncomfortable, or, you are spending too much time with someone who is probably just trolling you.

Or maybe you just exaggerated a bit here

Therapists don’t solve everything, but also, not all therapists are good at their job. Even if you discussed every single little negative emotion with a therapist, therapy is still just another tool, and it depends how you understand it and use it. Pretty mid on therapists in my personal experience.

I actually learned a fuckton more about my own experiences in watching and understanding how to relate to emotional and behavioral cause and effect on The Sopranos than at my own appointments.

As with anything, YMMV, but recognizing what’s actually happening adjacent to and following that so-called negative emotion might be helpful in figuring out that correlation or causality if people seem to be genuinely concerned.

That said, I would agree that we’re not letting ourselves sit with negative emotions for what would be an appropriate time before taking action, and it’s probably because all our fucking dopamine transmitters are fried and the sensation of negative emotion “nowadays” might literally feel more uncomfortable than it did pre-instant-gratification-as-a-given timelines.

Just theorizing.

Now THAT’S an unpopular opinion! Here take my up—wait what sub is this??

shills for big therapy?

Negative emotions are human, but often we arent well equipped to deal with them. If you can deal with them in a mature and responsible manner, congratulations! If not, therapy can get you to that point.

We dont need to journey through everything alone, often a helping hand is necessary to pull you forward.

Because I went from having 4 to 15 panic attacks a month to being able to count the time between panic attacks in years.

Because my panic attacks went from being because it’s Tuesday to being because I was in situations with actual dire consequences.

Because once I learned that it served no one involved for me to bend myself into an an ill fitting shape to avoid all conflict I was able to have lasting romantic and platonic relationships (married 8 years now and have told my wife I’m glad I met her after doing all the therapy).

Because of the dozens of things I learned explicitly and implicitly through the process. Because I am still using tools offered to me. Because I am actually happier and more fulfilled than I had ever expected I could be.

We don’t need therapy for every negative emotion. Some we might if they are persistent. But I agree, it is possible to rise to the occasion more often than not when it comes to dealing with our emotions and our current situation.

Sounds like something you should talk over with a therapist.

People don’t see your emotions. They see your behavior. They hear what you say, observe your actions and reactions, and from that they decide if they want to suggest therapy or not.

I don’t know if you need therapy or not because I’ve never met you in person. But if a large number of people you encounter suggest you seek out a therapist, it’s not because of anything you felt. It’s because of something you said or did. And you may be wise to reflect on those moments when they happen.

Your flawed premise is showing.

Therapy is a band aid for the alienation we feel under capitalism. We are an increasingly isolated society. It’s every man for himself out there. We’re not meant to live like this. We need other people. We need people to share our experiences and feelings with. Therapy fills that role very well. I have been in therapy for 6-7 years and it’s helped me a ton. I would recommend it, but I’m also of the opinion that if we ever were able to make to communism, very few people would need therapy.

For most people, therapy is the only way to speak with a person who isn’t like most of the commenters here.

Negative emotions are human but some people need help to learn to handle them in healthy ways.

Therapy isn’t “just for negative emotions” in the same way the doctor isn’t just for dealing with the occasional common cold.

If you’re being told to see the doctor all the time, and you’re being dismissive of it without a reason past knee jerking, maybe hear them out? You’re positing this openly online so I think you’re already considering this.