Three Steps to Emotional Healing That Last

Today, people everywhere are struggling through life with damaged emotions. They've endured a lot of negative things, causing untold damage that needs to be dealt with. But all too often, these hurts are simply swept under the rug in an attempt to make them go away. 

Through my own life experiences and from many years of helping others through this process, I've discovered that although God wants to help those who really want emotional healing, there are some very important steps these individuals must take for themselves. If you want to receive emotional healing, one of the first steps you must take is to face the truth. You can't be set free while living in denial. You can't pretend that certain negative things didn't happen to you. 

I've come to realize that we're experts at building walls and stuffing things into dark corners, pretending they never happened. 

I spent the first eighteen years of my life in an abusive environment, but as soon as I got away from that situation, I acted as though nothing was wrong. I never told anyone what had gone on in my private life. 

Why don't we want to bring things like that into the open? We're afraid of what people will think. We're afraid of being rejected, misunderstood, or unloved by those we care about or that they might have a different opinion of us if they really knew all about us. 

The next step toward emotional healing is confessing your faults. I think there's a place for eventually sharing with someone else the things that have occurred in our lives. There's something about verbalizing it to another person that does wonders for us—but use wisdom. Choose someone you know you can trust. Be sure that by sharing your story with someone else, you don't simply put your burden on that individual's shoulders. Also, don't go on a digging expedition, trying to dig up old hurts and offenses that have been buried and forgotten. 

When I finally worked up the courage to share with someone what had happened early in my life, I actually began shaking violently in fear. It was an emotional reaction to the things I'd kept buried within me for so long. Now when I talk about my past, it's as though I'm talking about somebody else's problems. Because I've been healed and restored, my past doesn't bother me anymore. 

Finally, you must assume some personal responsibility. Some people are trapped in denial, afraid of what might happen if others find out the truth. But as long as they deny the past, they're never going to be free from it. 

Nobody can be set free from a problem until they're willing to admit they have one. An alcoholic, drug addict or anyone who's lost control of their life is doomed to suffer until they're able to say, "I've got a problem, and I need help with it." 

Even though our problems may have been brought upon us because of something done against our will, we have no excuse for allowing the problem to persist, grow and even take control over our entire life. Our past experiences may have made us the way we are, but we don't have to stay that way. We can take the initiative by taking positive steps to change things—and we can ask for God's help. Whatever your problem may be, face it, consider confessing it to a trusted friend, and then admit it to yourself. 

Face the truth—it can be the beginning of a happier life!