How can I not show emotions?

Question

I was told by my psychologist that I don’t show emotions… that when I am sad and depressed I look happy as it is hidden he said. My girlfriend tells me the same thing because I like to joke around… but she told me she can’t tell the difference if I am playing around or when I am angry because I don’t show emotions. How can a person not show emotions?

Answer 1

It sounds like you mask your emotions, which is just another way of showing them. I'm told all the time that I have no emotions because whenever I should show a strong emotion my features go blank. Again though, that's just another way of showing them really.

It is possible to cover your emotions and show the wrong ones for the given moment but I don't think there's any way to do away with it all entirely. It can be confusing for other people though because they can't get a read on you. On the plus side I have an excellent poker face, so there's benefits :)

Answer 2

You are living in fear. Someone might take advantage of you, or invade upon you by questioning you.

Maybe you do it as a power trip. Doesn't seem so though.

Could be a defense mechanism.

It is not wise to always display your emotions, unfortunately. But it sounds like you are displaying what you think others want you to be/feel.

Why this is happening, only you know, you'll have to think about it. But these are all possibilities.

And from experience.
Psychologist- out to get your money, that's all he said. Come On he has a Ph.D. If you need/want to see a psychologist, get another one. He's taking advantage of you. (my first career passion was psychology and have done EXTENSIVE personal study upon it). Also, don't forget the market $ for depression. Are you depressed? There is loads of info on it (at a library), if you don't know, because it is possible to not recognize it, initially.

Girlfriend- I have an aunt and uncle who have such great senses of humor and were/are very comfortable with themselves that at a young age I sometimes thought they were being malicious, when they weren't, they were joking. That was their way of breaking the ice and showing love. As I've matured, I get it. I was just so young, I didn't get it, and didn't have a response.

I'm curious as to why you are seeing a psychologist. I've gone to some and found them to be manipulative as to make money.

I actually changed my major from psych to soc because I found the whole psych department was like that instead of being compassionate. It is also based on luck to get into a Ph.D program period. They only allow about 10 out of 400, all with the same qualifications. I didn't want to bet on it.

Answer 3

listen not everybody is strong enough to cope with their emotions, some of them show them since its the only way they can cope, others do not but keep on analysing their emotion and keep them inside not wanting to other see their vulnerability in the fear that they will get hurt or something. have u realised that u may have gotten hurt earlier so u may have build this wall around u to cope with u emotions differently maybe thats the case
there is a famous saying to control emotions, loose control. You seem to control ur emotions very tightly, try to free urself of them then see u will be free from within and feel liberated
bye i hope it helps.

Answer 4

"that when I am sad and depressed I look happy as it is hidden he said"

Only you know how you feel. If you don't you may want to learn to know yourself before someone else is successful at defining how they want you to feel and telling you what to think.

Answer 5

put a tack in your shoe.