We all have them. It has many faces.

We carry them around us, We store them in the remotest part of our brain, in the deepest chambers of our hearts.

We have them in our extensive database of memories.

Also, Others may feel anger, very deep resentments, and may exhibit anti-social or antagonistic behaviors.

Shadows follow and haunt many, in their dreams or waking hours, in unlikely places, unexpected and intimidating. Uncontrollable anger that can lead to violence can explode without warning.

Others will live in denial and spend their lives disconnected from the real world. Some will find blame in everyone except themselves; it’s always the other person’s fault. What about victims?

 

Scary.

Emotional excess baggage demands a high price at times.

There are those who succumb to the weight of this burden, it gets too much to bear.

Life loses its luster, they find the world cruel, their existence meaningless. To them, the fight over, if there ever was one.

There are many who go through life like driftwood, let the current take them wherever it does not matter anymore. Is our world this cruel?

What causes these emotional suffering?

Broken dreams, broken relationships, failed careers, lost hopes, betrayals, violations, childhood trauma, or other forms of trauma, add to these health issues. Social disgrace, financial disasters, poverty, and addictions cast deep emotional scars to the most vulnerable members of the family and society.

Is our fast-paced society to blame?

Add to this the pursuit of material success, endless toys, gadgets, and exponential advances in technology. Fragile relationships, weakening family ties, unreasonable expectations of self, and of others add to the already overstuffed emotional baggage.

Some carry them for a long, long time.

All is not lost, if we take a moment to listen to our deeper needs, beyond the physical.

There is a flood of information, organizations, professionals, and other resources most communities offer. Deep emotional suffering is a critical issue that can no longer be ignored, by society and by those who suffer. There is more to life.

Wisdom of the ages from different cultures and beliefs is revived or revised to suit the present psyche of society. It offers a holistic approach, involving the whole person’s mind, body, and spirit.

Take stock of the weight of your emotional baggage.