To live, you have to experience pain."

                                                       ~~

   Emotional Pain is a type of Psychological pain that originates from non-physical sources. It could be as a result of the actions of others; insults, hurtful words or deeds, it might be the result of regret, grief or loss of a loved one, or it can be a result of some underlying mental disorder such as anxiety, depression, e.t.c.

   The crux of the matter is that most people don't even know they are in pain (emotional pain). They experience it but they dismiss that feeling or emotion, mostly out of ignorance. So, here are five (5) signs that show you're in pain:

* Personality changes in a way that seems different from that person.

* Agitation or displaying anger, anxiety or moodiness.

* Withdrawal/ isolation from others.

* Poor self-care or perhaps engaging in risky behaviours.

* Hopelessness, feelings of being overwhelmed or worthless.

   These are a few signs among many. You can look out for these signs in you or others.

   Bear in mind that this Pain has no remedy. Pain has stages of healing and it's gradual. The first step to healing is identifying what you are feeling; your emotions. The second step is finding out what or who exactly is causing the pain. The next steps are the healing stage(s). With these stages, you can make the pain go away but not the memory.

   Below are the stages of healing:

* Identify what you are feeling.

* Identify the cause of that feeling.

* Cry if you need to, pour out your emotions, then wipe your tears.

* Take a deep breath and accept all your emotions.

* Give yourself some space. It means treating yourself with kindness, care, compassion and self-love. This creates space for you to reflect and understand yourself. You can now take a look at the impact of your emotions, positive or negative, keep or trash.

* Act on your hobbies, do the things you love doing... shopping, watching movies, taking a stroll, reading novels, playing games, cooking, eating, travelling, hiking, blogging, archery, sword-fighting, painting, drawing, e.t.c.

* Find new hobbies. Find something not too overwhelming, baby steps...

* Don't ruminate.

* Stop telling the story if it's not helping.

* Start writing in a mood journal.

* Take a deep breath and make a list of what you're thankful for in this journey.

* Keep taking deep breaths.

   In this journey of self-healing, you must dismiss myths about Emotions/ Emotional pains, that might disrupt the healing process because once it's disrupted, you might have to start the journey again. Myths like:

* Emotions are equated with the truth of who I am.

* Having strong feelings means I'm out of control.

* Some emotions are stupid.

* If I start crying, I'll never stop.

* It's better to be rational than emotional, e.t.c.

   Remember there's no remedy for pain, we can only deal with it, making it fade and then become a memory.

   Q: Have you ever experienced emotional pain? How did you handle it? You can share with us😊 . T