Navigating Change

Debi Levine, MS, LMFT

Adrift in a Sea of Confused Emotions

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Our local newspaper had an interesting “Dear Abby” article recently. It is worth summarizing and offers helpful resources.

A young man writes that he feels “lost and unfulfilled,” adding that he does not know what he “wants or deserves.” He offers some family history, admits to drinking more, and ultimately dropping out of college. He sounds quite lost and discouraged and asks Abby what he can do.

Abby’s reply suggests that the young many seek out a group that will offer emotional support so that he can hopefully get back on track and regain control of his life. She suggests a group called  Emotions Anonymous. Founded in 1971, this group has 850 chapters worldwide and 450 in the United States. It is a 12-step program for people experiencing emotional difficulties. In these groups, members help each other by sharing experiences, strengths, and hopes in order to improve emotional health. Books and literature are offered to new and existing groups.

Emotions Anonymous

Website — www.emotionsanonymous.org

E-mail — eainfo@emotionsanonymous.org

Confused emotions affect relationships and quality of life for people of all ages. I would also suggest to this young man that he consult with his primary care physician to rule out any underlying medical problems, such as depression. He may also benefit from working with a skilled therapist to explore interpersonal, family of origin, and relationship issues. Group therapy can be a valuable resource, too. Healthy eating, regular exercise, and adequate rest are important practices that help stabilize this young man as he learns new ways to improve his emotional well-being.

Sea of Emotions

Make the Right Decision? OR Make the Decision Right?

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So many people fret over making the right decision about some option or choice in their lives, sometimes to the point of excess. Yes, we need to exercise caution and use sound wisdom in making those important decisions in life, such as who we select to be our mate, where we want to live and work, or a house we want to purchase with hard-earned money. But when we go over-the-top with excessive worry and anxiety, debating each and every decision in our lives, we can ultimately rob ourselves of valuable time that we could be using to LIVE our lives! We over-think and thus fill our lives with much unnecessary stress and fear. In the end this can make us sick, and, very miserable and unhappy. Not at all the positive and hopeful life we envisioned!

The following link shares a great blog post that speaks to this dilemma we all sometimes face.

http://www.dailygood.org/story/501/don-t-make-the-right-decision-make-the-decision-right-adam-grant/

“Don’t make the right decision; make the decision right.” ~ Ellen Langer

“You’ll face plenty of win-win choices in your life. The quality of the decision you make will be determined not by picking the right one, but by the actions you take post-decision to make the most of it.” And, if your first decision turns out to be less than ideal, you can make another decision!! Keep moving forward…