Suppression is the action of halting the expression of your symptoms. It is a life-saving action, but long term suppression leads to deeper issues. Suppression pushes symptoms down, into the body, instead of their desired route which is up and out.
Suppression can happen with any therapy or treatment, but also through your body's natural, protective mechanisms. When the body deems a situation unsafe, it can suppress certain expressions to ensure your survival. This can happen on the physical, mental, or emotional level.
In a car accident, the body goes into shock so that you aren't overcome by pain and unable to get help. It suppresses the expression of pain and fear so that you can seek safety and survive.
As a child, the survival brain says that remaining part of the family unit ensures survival - so you may suppress parts of yourself to fit in.
Suppression can come from:
Any "anti-" medications, creams OR supplements
Incorrect remedies/treatments
Missing the root cause, treating only the symptoms
Not meeting basic needs
Lack of safety
While suppression helps us survive, safely balancing expression & suppression is critical in healing chronic issues.
This starts with identifying when suppression is happening. Here's a few indicators of suppression:
Symptoms get better, then come back stronger
New, deeper, never-had-before symptoms come up
Side effects replace primary symptoms
You rely on the treatment to function
If any of these resonate, get curious:
Do an inventory of your symptoms. Are they symptoms of needs going unmet? What are they preventing you from doing? How are they protecting you?
Do an inventory of your therapies. What's working, what's not? Which ones feel good? Which ones might be suppressing? Have a conversation with your practitioners about your concerns.
Do not remove any therapies that are providing life saving support.
If you are stuck in healing that just isn't working, spinning your wheels with appointment after appointment...Mind Body Reconnection is for you!
This self-paced course helps you reconnect with your core needs and the messages of your body so that you can advocate for healing that works for you.
It is broken down into two parts to help you relearn the language of your body and get a better picture of your health, your life, and your needs.
Suppression and expression work in tandem to keep you alive, safe, and healthy - understanding this process helps you take a more active role in your health so that you can rely less on managing symptoms and thrive more in living life.
Wishing you well,
Paula
