If we can’t recognize or process feelings well, don’t ignore it

Explaining concepts and ideas in analogies and metaphors, are a common practice in Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT).

I often explain to patients that “feelings” are information in the same way that sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste give us information. It gives us information, albeit much more abstract and “global” perhaps.  

If we can’t recognize and process our feelings, it will create problems, in the same way as if we can’t process our sight or hearing.  

We wouldn’t ignore our loss of sight or hearing would we?