One of the problems with emotional extremes is that they can become overwhelming.
It's possible to become too excited, too happy. It's also possible to become too sad, too bleak. Either extreme can be a trap.
If we lack focus there's a very real danger of being unable to identify those times when we slip into extremes of emotion.
With the focus gone, control can evaporate. We can find ourselves facing a situation where intervention is the only viable and sensible alternative.
But before successful intervention can take place what's needed is acceptance...recognition by the sufferer that a problem exists...and an understanding that personal resources and ability fall short of a self-help solution.
Strong emotions are part of daily life.
Acceptance of that results in awareness and awareness can lead to readiness. By taking the time to get to know how our minds work and identifying the triggers that provoke extreme reactions, we can hope to lead a more centred and balanced life.
It takes a set of practiced strategies to help ensure we can cope when next we are emotionally blind-sided.
None of us knows what awaits us around the next corner. A little forethought and preparation can at the very least give us the comforting assurance of the possibility of a reasoned response no matter how extreme the circumstances.
- Gary Bentley is a Rural Aid counsellor
