When I speak the unspeakable, I go back and forth between a little relieved that I've told and it's out there so I can work on it and completely terrified and ashamed that I've told and it's out there so I can work on it.

I rarely feel anything about the unspeakable thing itself - just the telling. So, I don't think you're alone in the empty feeling.

I think eventually, though, telling does work to help us feel better. Maybe it's like when you have an infected wound - it has to be opened up in order to heal. And the healing sometimes hurts worse than the wound did.