How to Discuss Difficult Topics

Throughout the day, we spend countless hours thinking about difficult subject matter, ranging from trust issues, insecurities, past traumas, and a host of other problems or concerns. These same topics are the ones that we spend the least amount of time actually talking about. In our society, talking about our flaws or mental health issues is seen as a taboo and is typically looked down upon. 

Social stigma, as well as social exclusion, are some of the biggest reasons as to why people are afraid to open up about their inner thoughts. This forces most people to bottle up those issues and feelings, act as if they don’t exist, and attempt to live their life as if everything were completely fine.

Short term discomfort is much better than long term dysfunction. 

Here are 3 ways that you can use to ease the burden of these difficult conversations:

Talk it out with a close friend or loved one

Being able to talk about your problems to someone that you trust and is near and dear to you can bring you a sense of relief. This sense of trust and openness is what allows you to lighten the weight of all of those burdens. These conversations need to be had and getting those thoughts out of your head is the first step towards creating positive changes to both your mental and physical health.

Write about your struggles

Journaling is a way to express those negative emotions onto pages, which forces your brain to process that information in a different way. This is how you can gain perspective and a better understanding of these thoughts that were trapped inside of your mind this whole time. These different perspectives can allow for you to properly get to the root of these issues, giving you a better understanding of what makes these topics so emotionally charged whenever they are discussed. 

Find and consult with a Therapist

One of the best and most effective ways to properly express your emotions and have these difficult conversations, is to consult with a mental health professional. Psychotherapy, ranging from cognitive-based approaches to psychoanalysis, therapists are trained to create a space where you are able to tackle your issues head on. The more times these conversations are had, the easier these same conversations will be in the future.