Increasing your effectiveness with EFT, part 212.
From time to time, some of my clients tell me they are afraid they might be losing their minds. What is interesting is that these are not people who are psychotic. More often, they are people who are going through a period of intense stress, anxiety, grief, emotional overwhelm, or other difficult life circumstances. Yet despite this, they sometimes find themselves wondering, “What if I’m going crazy?”
I think this fear is more common than many people realize.
One of the things I often explain is that when we are under a lot of emotional stress, it is actually quite normal to feel disconnected from ourselves. When our emotions become intense, or when we experience strong physical sensations in the body, we may stop feeling like our usual selves. We may find it harder to think clearly, feel grounded, or make sense of what is happening to us. And when that happens, it is easy for the mind to interpret the experience as a sign that something is seriously wrong.
Another aspect that I think is important to understand is the relationship between pain and connection.
When we are in a lot of pain, whether physical or emotional, it becomes much harder to feel connected to ourselves, to other people, or even to spirituality in the sense of feeling connected to something greater than ourselves. In some ways, emotional pain can be especially confusing because it is invisible. If you have a broken arm, you can point to the injury. You can see it, and other people can see it too. Emotional pain is often harder to locate and make sense of.
Imagine that you have a really intense toothache, but the rest of your body feels completely okay. Even though the pain is limited to one part of your body, it would still be difficult to relax, enjoy a conversation, connect with other people, or feel fully safe and comfortable in your own skin. The pain would keep pulling your attention toward itself.
Something similar can happen when we are carrying a large amount of emotional distress. Even though there may not be a visible injury, the nervous system is still responding to something that feels painful and overwhelming.
Our nervous system is constantly evaluating whether we are safe or unsafe, and much of this process happens outside of conscious awareness. Many people assume that the nervous system is only paying attention to the external environment, such as the facial expressions, tone of voice, and behavior of the people around us. But it is also paying attention to what is happening inside our bodies. It notices our heart rate, muscle tension, dizziness, chest tightness, stomach discomfort, and countless other sensations. It is also monitoring our emotional state.
When the nervous system detects a large amount of distress, whether emotional or physical, it can become more difficult to feel calm, grounded, connected, and stable. This does not necessarily mean that we are losing our minds. Often, it simply means that our nervous system is working very hard to deal with something that feels overwhelming.
This is one of the reasons why EFT can be so helpful. By tapping while focusing on difficult emotions, upsetting thoughts, or uncomfortable body sensations, we often begin to feel more at ease with what is happening internally. Of course, there are times when physical symptoms should be evaluated by a doctor, and EFT is not a substitute for appropriate medical care. But when emotional distress is contributing to the experience, tapping can help reduce the emotional charge around both our emotions and the sensations in our body.
As the nervous system begins to feel safer, it often becomes easier to come out of survival mode. And as that happens, many people notice that they begin to feel more grounded, more connected, and more like themselves again.
That said, it’s not always easy to do this by ourselves. If you’d like some support exploring what’s coming up for you, you can learn more about my approach at brunosade.com.
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I’m Bruno Sade, a clinical psychologist and Accredited Certified Advanced EFT Practitioner. I work online with people around the world, helping them reduce the emotional charge behind difficult thoughts, memories, and triggers.
If you’re curious about experiencing EFT in a guided session, I occasionally offer a free EFT tapping session in exchange for a brief market research interview. You can sign up here.
