#282: How Do I Feel My Feelings?

Caller Andrew's Question: "After a lifetime of pushing my feelings down, ignoring them and not wanting to feel them, how do I start to feel them again? I white knuckled my sobriety for 30 years, unsuccessfully ofcourse. Within the last year I started seeing a therapist, joined a men's group, attending a men's ARP as well as a couples ARP and went to warrior heart bootcamp. I feel my sobriety and recovery are solid but I'm having a difficult time connecting with my emotions, especially when my wife shares her pain, I find it difficult to show emotion. When I sit and ponder on the pain I've caused her I can eventually feel my emotions but that takes awhile for me to get to that point. I desire to connect with myself and my wife emotionally and am having a difficult time with it.....…" // SUBMIT A QUESTION + CALL IN // We'd love to answer questions you have about addiction, trauma, recovery, relationships, and healing. Ask Here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.therapybros.com/call-in-and-ask-a-question/⁠⁠⁠⁠ // Tyler Patrick LMFT | "The Wandering Therapist" // Free Consultation Call: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lovestrong.com/consultation-call⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Love Strong | Experience Therapy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lovestrong.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ // Brannon Patrick LCSW | "The Expert" // Brannon's Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.brannonpatrick.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Therapy Utah: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://therapyutah.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠ // COURSES // The Healing Journey: ⁠⁠https://join.reclaimyourheart.com/⁠⁠ Brannon's Boundary Bootcamp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.brannonpatrick.com/Boundarybootcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tyler's Pornography Addiction Recovery Kickstart: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lovestrong.com/courses/overcome-pornography-addiction/⁠⁠⁠⁠ // EVENTS // Radiant Dawn | Women's Retreat: ⁠⁠https://radiantdawn.org⁠⁠ Rising Son | Men's Retreat: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://risingson.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ Vibrant Love | Couple's Retreat: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://vibrantlove.org⁠⁠⁠ // Reclaim Your Heart // Join our new community for quality exclusive content, incredible courses, and real connection: ⁠⁠https://join.reclaimyourheart.com/⁠ 00:00 - Intro 01:23 - Podcast Introduction 06:10 - Andrew's Struggle 11:36 - Pornography and Shame 16:20 - Coping in Marriage 19:45 - Marriage Journey 23:10 - Therapeutic Separation 27:40 - Individual Work 30:15 - Faulty Core Beliefs 34:20 - Childhood Experiences 39:15 - Final Thoughts