Developing insight

I know this a pretty broad and somewhat basic question, but how do you go about developing insight? While I'm great with intellectual discussions and reading, I'm very bad at recognizing feelings and thoughts related to my state of mind. I can think about quantum mechanics but I can't think about how I feel. How do you get better at that? Or is it something you're born with?

I've tried journaling, but seem to end up writing mostly that I don't know what to write about....oh well..

I need an instruction guide

How do you go about identifying your feelings?
I used to try to identify my feelings by introspection / phenomenology. I thought that if I focused on the feeling then its name would suddenly occur to me... That wasn't working out so well for me. Then I learned about analytical functionalism which is very similar to the way in which Linehan advocates people can learn about feelings. By looking at triggers (thoughts / perspectives) and looking at actions or action urges.

How do you go in idenfifying feelings in other people?

I think both of those abilities are learned. Our parents vary in their own insights and in their ability to teach us. We can learn this later in life...

I think journaling has helped me a lot with insights...but it takes patience and committement to journal..I've been journaling for 4 yrs now most nights....and at times during the day when I've felt in crisis or panic mode...its about building a relationship with our cut off parts and that isn't an over night job...when that begins to happen the insights come...sometimes they may happen while I'm watching a prog...a part of me will hear something and out off the blue and something clicks in my mind...but unless we have some kind of contact with our split off parts nothing means nothing most times....

I was writing last night about the upcoming therapy break and the word "aloness" kept coming to mind...then I realised that aloness to me has meant a kind off death...and that its not that I am afraid that T won't be there after the break as I always thought the fear was...its actually that I fear my own death and inabilty to reach her...the anxiety in my stomach has always been around that and I never knew it before....I never knew at a deeper level that I have indeed survived my life and I am not dead nor alone...and I am not that helpless child I once was..I can reach people now and ask for what I need.....but only writing and writing until I felt I had nothing else to write could reach that buried knowledge...

I can identify my feelings--mostly sadness, lonely, anger, & fear, but I don't know how to COPE with them. So far I've quit smoking so I can't do that to lessen the impact of the emotions, don't drink to excess anymore, so now I binge eat. I'm in therapy & on meds for bp 1, but I don't know how to go about learning coping skills. My therapist seems to be dealing mostly with my thoughts, but I need help with my actions. (Also, did an overdose a few months ago--another great coping skill).--Suzy

I actually carry around a list of feelings/emotions like this http://www.guidetopsychology.com/emotions.htm to help me in case I get stuck. It takes lots of practice and the patience to sit there and look inward until you figure it out. Sometimes it can help if you can describe how you are feeling to someone else who can help you identify the feeling.

Great link. Thanks. I think that's going to be very helpful.