Suppressing, or holding things in that need to be revealed, is a way to protect us from the unknown, from being misunderstood, from being judged, from being rejected, from making others uncomfortable, from being labeled as “crazy,” “bad,” or “wrong.”
When we suppress, we are preventing ourselves from expressing what we really wish we could say, from feeling what we really need to feel, from revealing our authentic parts. Suppression is protecting ourselves from being in a vulnerable position.
Suppression is about what needs to be said or felt or experienced and doesn’t always equate to what we want to say, feel, or readily experience. Self-control is about how it needs to be said, felt, or experienced.
Oftentimes, suppressing has been linked to being strong. How much you can tolerate or carry or hold in without breaking down has been linked to strength...a false sense of strength.
When suppressing, you’re protecting yourself from the potential consequences of sitting on the bench, of watching from the sidelines, of not getting recruited or drafted for the team, of losing your scholarship, of not being liked...
These are real concerns and reveal that expressing takes strength, because to confront or deal with any of the above is going to require strength; to find the words to communicate in healthy, constructive ways takes strength; to be fully honest with yourself and others takes strength; to visualize beyond the potential, undesired consequences listed above takes strength.
Express responsibly; The facade doesn’t look good on you.