Truly healing and just forcing yourself to forget are two distinct processes that deal with emotional or psychological distress, and they have different implications and outcomes.
Forcing Yourself to Forget: Forcing yourself to forget is a coping mechanism where you deliberately try to suppress or push away negative emotions or traumatic experiences. This may involve distractions, avoidance, or denial of the painful feelings or memories. While it can provide temporary relief, it is generally not a healthy or sustainable long-term solution. Forcing yourself to forget does not address the root causes of the distress, and the unresolved emotions may resurface later, potentially leading to more significant psychological issues.
Truly Healing: True healing, on the other hand, involves actively addressing the underlying emotional or psychological wounds and working through them in a healthy and constructive manner. Healing often requires facing and processing the emotions, memories, and traumas rather than suppressing or avoiding them. This can involve seeking support from friends, family, or mental health professionals, engaging in therapy, or using various therapeutic techniques to explore and understand one's feelings and experiences.
The key differences between truly healing and just forcing yourself to forget are:
a. Acknowledgment vs. Avoidance: Healing involves acknowledging the pain, trauma, or distress, while forcing yourself to forget relies on avoiding or denying it.
b. Long-Term vs. Short-Term Relief: True healing aims for long-term emotional well-being and growth, while forcing yourself to forget provides only short-term relief, often leading to unresolved issues.
c. Emotional Growth vs. Emotional Suppression: Healing allows for emotional growth and resilience as you work through and learn from your experiences. Forcing yourself to forget suppresses emotions, hindering personal growth and self-awareness.
d. Sustainable vs. Unsustainable: Healing aims to create sustainable coping mechanisms and emotional processing tools, whereas forcing yourself to forget is unsustainable and can lead to more significant problems down the line.
In summary, while forcing yourself to forget might offer temporary relief, it is not a healthy or effective way to address emotional wounds. True healing requires courage, self-compassion, and a willingness to face and work through difficult emotions, leading to a more profound sense of well-being and personal growth in the long run. If you find yourself struggling to cope with emotional distress, seeking professional help from a therapist or counselor can be an essential step in the healing process.