We’ve all seen people in a volatile state. Scary, I know! Truth is, we all feel it but sometimes don’t recognize it until after the fact. It appears when we experience rapid or unexpected change (like when the Japanese stock market dropped). Or, sometimes it comes on suddenly in an explosive reaction to something (case and point when you just lose it). I seem to experience it most profoundly as an explosive reaction. I rarely realize it until I see someone else’s shocked face or there’s an air of ‘give her some space’ in the immediate area.

Have you ever felt so explosive on the inside you say things you didn’t mean to or you storm out of a building with such fervor you break the door on the way out? Oh, man! I have! And yes, I did! In college, I stormed out of the Fine Arts building with such intensity I broke the door on my way out. (Never knew I had that kind of strength in me!) All while one of my professors stood by with extreme notice. The next time I saw him, my sanity came into question. It was uncharacteristic of me, and he was sure something was bothering me. He was spot on! My life was in complete chaos because of rape trauma complicated by college stress. The madness I felt came out most unexpectedly! Oh goodness!

Yup. This qualifies as a negative emotion. But what does it mean when you feel volatile? In the instance above, my plan to ignore the trauma I experienced and go on as if nothing happened festered into something that demanded attention. There was a bit of anger in the undercurrent of my volatility as well. (Ya think?) It was going to come out one way or another! Well. It found a way out for sure; out the front door with such violence, the door had to be replaced.

There are few among us who would ever admit to feeling volatile, let alone be open enough to talk about it. I get it! I’ve been there! However, everyone experiences this feeling, and it deserves to be examined and understood. When we understand more about this part of ourselves, we understand what’s going on when we see it in others.

Remember, if you are experiencing this volatility, you are still okay. You are a human with feelings, and it’s going to happen. Find a friend to talk about it, get some help, write about it, or find a pool to jump into with all your might. There are healthy ways to feel this feeling and remember it won’t last forever. Give yourself some kudos for being brave enough to feel it, recognize it, and learn from it!

Emotions are adventures…

Explore more feelings in the Stayin’ in Touch – Negative Emotions book. You can play with them when or wherever you like.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay