Other People's Problems

Emily: Letting yourself be sad

Emily was taught as a kid to avoid some of her emotions, including sadness. Now as an adult, Emily is learning how to sit with her feelings without pushing them away in hopes of resolving past traumas and developing new ways of coping with the ups and downs of life. 
Emily says she sometimes feels like a falling rock. (Ben Shannon)

"I haven't given myself the love I need." - Emily 

Emily was taught as a kid to avoid some of her emotions, including sadness. Now as an adult, Emily is learning how to sit with her feelings without pushing them away in hopes of resolving past traumas and developing new ways of coping with the ups and downs of life. 
 
Listen for:

  • How Hillary works with Emily to figure out how she can identify sadness. What are the sensations? How does it feel in her body? "Feelings are physiological processes," says Hillary.  
  • Why we need to feel feelings for completion, and to be able to get a release from them. 
  • Hillary explains why we compare our suffering to other people's and how that cuts us off from others. 

Want to keep up with Other People's Problems?

Download the CBC Radio app, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and join our new Facebook community