I have no positvie reply for this, but I have similar negative experiences. If we ever started crying...a single tear drop or cry escaped our lips we (I have a sister) were sent to our rooms. I remember once I'd fallen down the stairs in my snow suit and as soon as I got to the bottom I was wailing(which is normal obviously) but my mom came and yelled at me, yanked the suit off and sent me to my room. She didnt let me go out with my sister and play with the rest of kids in the snow. I was forced to watch from afar. I think I ended up crying myself to sleep and she never came to check on me. Outside of that it was always, "stop being so sensitive", "be nice"... etc etc. In any case, yes emotions were very much repressed in my house. I just started therapy a month ago and my T said that when I talk about my childhood I don't have any emotions to go with it. I guess she feels I should be upset (angry, sad, frustrated), but I just talk with a straight face..."yes that happened", "this is what happened when I did this". Once I'd found myself sitting her her office pushing emotions down. I do it so automatically normally and that was the first time I'd caught myself EVER. Emotions scare me.

Anger scares me the most. I just let it fester inside of me b/c I dont know how to express it. I don't know what to do with it. Whenever I was angry with someone and wanted to give them a piece of my mind I was always told to "be nice" or to "respect that person cuz he or she is older" or just told "shut up" all the while I am being disrespected...Happiness is an emotion that was rarely expressed so I don't even think I know what that one is. No, I do know what it is. When the guy I am dating calls me and I see his name on the caller ID my heart smiles and I get butterflies...we've been together for three years and it still happens

Sorry, I hadn't intended this to be that long.and I really don't have any really advice for this, but I thought it was a really good thread and wanted to share my experiences of my repressed emotions. I would love to know what others have done to express their emotions..