Emotion: Regulation versus Suppression

Emotion is

a complex reaction pattern, involving experiential, behavioral and physiological elements.” Emotions are how individuals deal with matters or situations they find personally significant.

Individuals have a way they respond to issues, this complex response or reaction has a pattern which involves past events, our attitude, and an inner reaction. All these summed up becomes our emotions. Emotion can be regulated or suppressed depending on whether or not we admit to our feelings. To regulate, it means we bring it to a point where we are no longer affected by it , and to suppress means to deny it completely and act as if it has no effect at all on us.

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Regulating our emotions

To regulate our emotions, we admit to having the feelings, but manage it in such a way that we no longer feel the pain, or hurt. To be able to regulate our feelings, we need to have encountered such a circumstance over and over again until we find a way to adapt amidst the pain. Personally, I've been able to manage my emotions by not allowing the pain to control my decision.

"Emeka was hurt, but he chose not to fight" , is a good example of someone regulating his emotions.

Suppressing our emotions

Unlike regulating emotions, suppressing one's emotion involves a deliberate denial of feelings. The individual presses down every reaction and pretends not to be affected by the action of people or a circumstance. Sometimes individuals suppress their feelings to act strong, avoid being seen as weak, or as a way of survival. People who suppress their emotions are likely to spill their every hurt from the past if they could no longer bear it..

"Emeka was not hurt by the insult, even though he was supposed to" This could be a scenario of someone suppressing his feelings.