Getting angry at emotions

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I've seen a lot of discussion about emotions, but I can't recall seeing anything on this in particular. I find myself getting angry at feeling emotions, and it seems silly. It especially happens when I'm feeling down, then I get angry about feeling down. I guess it's that I can't really explain why I'm feeling that way? It happens with other things too though. For example, if I find myself feeling a positive emotion when I don't understand why I'm feeling it, that also makes me angry.

Does this make sense at all? Can anyone relate to this? I'm finding it really hard to put into words.

I often get angry at other peoples emotions, but not at my own. But, other than that difference, I do relate to what you are saying. Emotions is probably the main thing I ever get angry at "other people" for.

Yes. I hate emotions. If I could be a Vulcan, I would definitely do that.

I have no problems with my own emotions. I do have problems with anxiety, but I don't get angry at myself for it. I'm actually a lot like this when it comes to emotion:

The display of strong emotion in other people is confusing and disconcerting to me, and I most often respond as a matter of self-defense through anger. This reaction, unfortunately, is destructive to relationships, and has wrecked many in my life.

Other people may be sad, or angry themselves, or even happy... but very quickly it gets overwhelming for me and I have a really hard time responding in the appropriate way. I get angry and repulsed, and then they get defensive, and communication promptly breaks down.

Any thoughts on how to get around this?

I try to see my anger as blocked purposefulness. If my emotions jerk me around, I definitely get angry. Anger helped me beat depression, used as fuel for reevaluation of the many disappointments that brought me depression. I wouldn't give up my emotions, though. I believe they provide a shorthand for communication by my subconscious when I don't have time to think. I just try to remember to breathe, feel without judgment, and let my motivation arise. I also feel a little healthy fear at my anger.

I used to think I wanted things simple, but having tried that and hated it, I'll keep my complexity. I've had such a challenge working with my emotions, accepting them and bringing them into clearer focus, that I'd expect to have worked it out, but the hits just keep coming.

I'm an overly sensitive person, so I feel my feelings more than I'd like. Sometimes I wish I could be more of an automaton, even though, deep down I'd probably prefer to be somewhere in the middle.

The problem is that I find showing sadness to be humiliating, even in private.

Yeah, I think I know what you mean, kind of. My emotions change so rapidly sometimes and I feel like I have no control over it so I get frustrated with myself. I think about how good I felt when I first woke up and I just want to go back to that and so I get angry at the whole situation.

I wish I could just give myself commands like "Be happy," and then magically cheer up.

Aspergers comes with some incredible sensitivities, both good and bad as well as frustrations at dealing with the NT world, so it is not too surprising when emotions increase to the boiling point. This is in essence what a meltdown consists of. One thing that sets me off are all the hateful and cynical attitudes that seem to be so abundant in the NT world. I have always been a very optimistic person with an inherently positive outlook on everything and it really does hurt to see people who react with hate and cynicism, especially when they do this with respect to me. I have always had to deal with people who seem to take pleasure in behaving like this in whatever way then can so as to infuriate me. This never fails to eventually send me into such a meltdown, but I would not want to live in a world devoid of emotions. Take a look at the movie "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (either the 1956 or 1978 versions) for the alternative. That is thought is still fresh in my mind since I watched it just last night (1956 version).

Think positive... the mind is an extremely powerful tool for good or evil and you can do whatever your mind sets out to do. Back in 1970 or so, I went to a shrink who gave me a recording to listen to during one visit. This recording was made by a psychologist named John Lilly (Google John Lilly psychologist) and consisted of nothing but the following phrase repeated over and over again by different speakers in different intonations for about a half hour: "what one believes to be true, either is true or will become true in the realm of the mind". In effect the ongoing repetition of this phrase reinforced itself in my mind almost like a form of brainwashing for the good. It also has similarities to hypnosis and other forms of suggestion.

This effectively says that if you believe something strongly enough, then you will ultimately be able to convince yourself of it regardless of the surrounding conditions and environment. This is the essence of positive thinking and has worked very well for me over the years under some conditions from which there was no possible avenue of escape or alternative thought and even in conditions in which large numbers of people were standing against me with such negative thoughts. In such situations I was able to stand alone with my head held high and to prevail against impossible odds. That is the true power of positive thought.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sour ... ychologist

http://www.intuition.org/txt/lilly.htm

@TTRSage

Thank you, that's very interesting. I'll definitely do some reading on John Lilly.

That would be me.

I used to be like this. Emotions can be irritating because they are getting in the way of what you want to do, or how you want to feel. Or they can simply be incomprehensible mysteries. That used to annoy me, like something's up but I've no clue what it is. I also used to hate people knowing how I felt, or that I was feeling.

I think emotions are a bit like weeds. I like weeds, they are can be useful.

I am afraid of my emotions, and then get angry sometimes when feeling strongly about something, partly because of my lack of control, partly the fear that I will end up in yet another bad situation because I felt something for someone.

Cognitive therapy has helped me with depression, and anxiety, and as time goes by, I am less reactive toward other things, but no where near the place I would like to be.

Uh ... yokay ... !


Vulcans actually do have emotions but just do not ever display them.

In my own case, however, I seldom know what to do with them when they somehow do find their ways out.

This touch base on what I experience.

Its simply that I have been through an abusive relationship with someone who manipulated me with her emotions. It was already hard enough to try to read the meaning behind them. But then she was of course using them to weild me into guilt. She always made me feel guitly. That I was the bad guy. I'd do everything I could to be the good guy. And then her lies begin to unravel and I realize I had been played. I had been with her for three years and it was three years of guilt, manipulation, and self destruction.

Since then, whenever people show me emotions. I just either don't believe them all the way or don't believe with them at all. And I react in a defensive or angry manner. One of the reasons my relationships don't last very long. Because I no longer believe people enough.

I think they are lying to me or trying to use their emotions against me.

I know its a bad habit. I know I shouldn't. But I can't let my guard down in fear that I may get hurt if I'm vulnerable again.

that happens to me when i am mad about depression. then i get mad about being mad at myself lol.