Eat Your Feelings

Would you believe it: life is full of stress. Who knew? Apparently, Democrats are the most stressed out about the election. Yet another surprise for today. Since Democrats are more likely than Republicans to be therapy consumers, you would think that they would be well-prepared to deal with stress. If therapy does not tell you how to deal with stress, what good is it?

OK, don’t answer that question.

Thank you.

As for the origin of the stress, we already know that the correct answer for Democrats is: Trump. For the record, and for those who prefer more subtle argumentation, I suspect that, among Democrats and other leftists, it is necessary to be emotionally overwrought about Trump. If you aren’t you will be suspected of having hidden Trumpian tendencies. You will be disqualified from polite dinner parties and get  voted off the island.

Thus being emotionally out of control is necessary. And yet, what do you do with the attendant stress? What has the therapy culture taught us?

To put the best first, many members of this deranged contingent are working out more. Good idea. Nothing quite like a workout to relieve stress, to improve mood and even to help overcome anxiety. And yet, in order to show how stress they are, some people--would you believe?-- are doing two or more Soulcycle classes a day. Too much exercise is too much of a good thing. Besides, shouldn't you recycle your soul? Did I miss something? Anyway, exercise has nothing to do with therapy sessions, but, such is life.

Others have resorted to the tried and true remedy of alcohol. Nothing very surprising there. Strangely, the author of this article on NBC says nothing about other controlled substances. Are stressed out millennials also increasing their consumption of weed or of other psychopharmaceutical treatments for stress? I suspect that they are, though, again, the article offers no evidence to that effect.

And then there is this: many of the emotionally overwrought are, the article explains: eating their feelings. An excellent point. An excellent phrase. Surely, it is largely preferable to the practice of feeling their feelings. For all I know these young people have overdosed on therapy to the point where they feel condemned to feel their feelings. Deeply, intensely, passionately. They are so overwhelmed with their deeply personal feelings that they can only manage them by eating them.

What does it mean to eat your feelings? It is not quite the same thing as drowning your sorrow in demon rum, but it is close. It means overeating, gorging yourself on Twinkies, scarfing down chips and dip… in order to calm your agonized soul.

I suspect that this is not overly effective as a treatment for stress. And yet, there is another way to understand the phrase. Eating your feelings could mean that you decide not to make of them a public spectacle. That is, keeping your feelings to yourself.

Anyway, the current political juncture does give us a new phrase to play with. When in doubt, don't feel your feelings, eat them!