ABSTRACT

One significant aspect of depression is often the lack of emotional expression. People can begin to alienate themselves from those around them, or they can even turn these emotions against themselves and, instead of being negative to others, they can become negative towards themselves: self-deprecating, self-hating, or even self-harming. The initial reservation about expressing one's emotions can help to keep all of one's negative feelings well locked in. One fairly safe way to express feeling is to start to write. Another quite safe way is through other forms of artistic expression: artwork, painting, music, movement or dance therapy, sculpture, or pottery. Many new developments are happening in trauma work. With regard to emotional expression in therapy, the essential point is never to allow oneself to re-traumatize. All recall of events and appropriate emotional expression should happen within the person's emotional "comfort zone".