The Healing Power of Emotional Words

Emotional language is a way of expressing feelings and emotions and at the same time, it is a channel that connects you with the other person.

The world of emotions

Affection is our feelings expressed in words and also non-verbally. Through words and gestures, affection is always accompanied by emotion; the emotion that allows us to validate the affective words.

We can define “affection” as all of the expression we show to the other person about how we feel about them. And it is precisely the affective expression that determines the nature and depth of the relationship, and its importance to both parties.

Certainly, we have not been taught to communicate in this way.  In many cases we do not use this affective communication because we do not consider it important. However, it is essential to human relationships.

Using words in emotional relationships will fill it with feeling, hope, and meaning.  Other forms of communication, though it may be interesting, will not touch us emotionally to the same depth that words do.

The difficulty of expressing affection

When we feel something for another person and express it, we make the relationship different and special.

However, it is difficult, strange, unusual and even ridiculous to do this because, very often, we have been  taught not to show ourselves from the inside and to hide our feelings. We are told that it is a sign of weakness and suffering.

It is then, a difficulty based on a misconception of “emotional strength” and also a the lack of “emotional literacy.” Through this we have been taught to express our feelings and manage our emotions.

The pain of not expressing ourselves

Because we haven’t been taught correctly and have these erroneous beliefs, we tend to try to make ourselves appear strong and insensitive and we ignore our feelings because we believe that we are exposing ourselves less to the pain and suffering from those who hurt us.

However, pain is precisely what we will feel when we don’t express our feelings or when we are in relationships with others who don’t express theirs. 

The power of emotional words

If we were taught to use emotional words from childhood we would discover their strength, both by hearing them, and by expressing them. They have the power to show our inner selves and connect with the other person from the inside.

If we close our eyes and heard:

• “I love you”
• “I feel special being with you”
• “I feel happy with you”
• “You’re the most special person I know”
• “I feel good when you listen to me”
• “I feel important by listening to you”
• “I’m happy to have met you”
• “I feel at peace with you”
• “I want to stay by your side”
• “I want to continue counting on you”
• “I wish you the best”
• “I want to hug you”
• “I want to know more”
• “I feel loved by you”
• “I feel cared for” ….

We would feel much better…

Perhaps some of these affective words resonate with you more than others, but they are sure to have made you feel different towards that person who expressed them to you, or make that person who you expressed them to feel different.

The healing power

The healing power of affective words lies in its high emotional content that is transmitted to the person who’s hearing the words. At the same time, the person saying them feels the excitement from the words they are expressing. And from there stems the healing power.

When expressing affection, we free emotions that sometimes, because they are not expressed, oppress or block the person who holds them in.

After hearing or expressing affection, we will feel relief and freedom from pain or suffering that was enclosed by these emotions.

Affective words heal and unite the people who use them, releasing those emotions and painful feelings that cause silent suffering.