Pretending To Be Fine

Admitting to yourself that you are upset or in pain can make you feel exposed. You fear that acknowledging a bad feeling gives it more power. The pain might get worse. You might not be able to tolerate it.

When you have negative emotions, your first response is usually to downplay them or to run away.

There’s a scale that runs from one extreme, stubbornness, to the other extreme, paranoia. You don’t want to run to the doctor or stay in bed on the slightest ailment. But you also don’t want to pretend nothing is wrong when your headache lasts for years.