HazelGirl, yeah I see a place for "mindfulness." I know a lot of people are sick of that term, like it is a fad thing, but I'm a buddhist so it actually has meaning for me. So to have some sort of reflective place in addition to just emotion seems to be a way to approach this.

Depletion, sorry you were criticized as a child. I wasn't, but I wasn't allowed to have any emotions at all. That's why I say that having emotions now is like an achievement, but they are often strong so I am now seeing that perhaps there are other ways to be. I am sensitive and do feel things deeply; perhaps learning to sit with that and be more comfortable instead of stirred up would be something to work on. Maybe learning to keep company with myself more somehow if that is possible.