Navigating Emotions vs. Feelings vs. Moods
With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD)
For an exceedingly long time, my life revolved around my emotions, feelings and moods. I made most of my decisions from emotions and since I was suffering from Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD). Those decisions were often detrimental to my growth and stability. If I did make a fabulously informed decision for myself and my life, it would invariably end up getting sabotaged. At that point, my confidence hit the dirt and the negative emotions created horrible feelings of worthlessness which led to a negative and/or destructive mood leading to more unhealthy decisions. The downward spiral would continue day in and day out – year in and year out.
It was truly such a vicious cycle, and I did not know how to stop it because I did not understand how the untreated trauma was impacting my emotions, feelings, and mood. I carried the shame and belief that I was just “too sensitive” and “too emotional” which I had been told by my mom. I also thought that I just “had bad luck” because she had told me that as well.
As my life swirled downward with increased trauma caused by the fact that I did not understand the role that my emotions and trauma were playing, I sometimes had suicidal thoughts and actually spent some time (6 months) making cuts in my wrists. I was crying out for someone to help me understand what was happening, but there were only predators answering my cries.
I thought surely that help would arrive from somewhere outside of myself, but the day I got on my knees and cried out to God for help, admitting that my life was out-of-control, was the beginning of me helping myself (with God’s guidance).
This article at Dakota Family Services website does an amazing job of explaining emotions, feelings, and moods in depth. In brief, emotions start as sensations in the body, feelings generate from our thoughts about those emotions. Feelings are how we interpret emotions and let them sink in. A mood is how we feel over time. It is influenced by many factors, including exercise, diet, and state of your health.
My mood and feelings of worthlessness came from deep sadness, anger, and fear from the many traumas I continued to experience plus those traumas from my past that were left to fester and grow. I had no perception that my feelings and downward mood of worthlessness were a result of untreated trauma because my self-talk told me I WAS WORTHLESS – that my life was a mere dot on this earth and meant nothing to anyone.
Coaching
Purchase book “Reinventing Your Life”.
Find schema therapist.
After working with the above, you’ll start to be able to develop your “healthy self” or “true self.”
Begin re-parenting your child parts.
Pay attention to your emotions (they signal you may be experiencing a trigger).
Pay attention to your feelings and/or mood so that you can do self-love induced self-care acts.
At this point, after working on all the above, you will be gaining momentum for a happier, healthier you.
Continue working (there is always more to uncover and discover). You will reach new heights of being and freedom from trauma induced PTSD and C-PTSD
