Repressing for Dummies

Okay, let me explain to you what the word "Repressing" means. Imagine you have a box in your room, and this box is full of things that you don't really want to deal with or think about. So instead of facing these things, you keep them inside the box and close the lid tightly, hoping that they will never bother you again. Well, that's kind of what repressing means.

When we talk about "repressing," we're talking about the act of pushing down or burying our thoughts, feelings, or memories that we find uncomfortable, unpleasant, or even painful. It's like trying to hide these things away, so they don't bother us. We do this because sometimes the things we're repressing can be too difficult to handle at the moment, or we might be afraid of what might happen if we let them come to the surface. It's like that box in your room becomes a way to keep those thoughts and feelings locked away and out of sight.

But here's the thing about repressing: just like that box in your room, this strategy of burying our thoughts and feelings can only work for a little while. Eventually, those things we're repressing might start peeking out from the box, sort of like a jack-in-the-box popping up unexpectedly. They can come back in different ways, like through dreams, sudden reactions, or even physical symptoms like headaches or stomachaches.

So, when we talk about "repressing," we're talking about putting something away and trying to ignore it or forget about it. It's like using that box to hide away the things we don't want to face. But just like that box in your room, we can't keep those things hidden forever. Eventually, they'll find a way to come out, and that's why it's often better to find healthy ways to cope with our thoughts and feelings rather than trying to repress them.