Biting your tongue till it bleeds

I’m sure everyone has heard the expression ‘biting your tongue’. If not, it means to stop yourself from saying something. People bite their tongue in order to not share information that is meant to be kept private, or to not offend someone. In many of those cases the person who is biting their tongue or holding things in, bites their tongue to the point of being hurt themselves. Literally biting your tongue causes pain. Same goes with holding in or bottling up your true feelings. Yes, some things are better left unsaid, but also there are things that people feel forced to brush under the rug that without it being dealt with will fester and rot inside them.
So what’s the solution? Speak. Open your mouth. Write things out. Don’t let things build up to the point where you are hurting yourself inside. The dangerous thing about it is that it’s hard for someone to help, because it goes unnoticed until it is too late. I applaud those who vent. I applaud those who speak their minds. Some moments are not appropriate, but at least people know what is going on and can help.
What are you holding on to? Talk about it. Many people are willing to listen. And the fear that may have you bound of speaking out about things can be released. I, for one, have been afraid of offending people. But also I’m tired of pretending that I’m ok with things as well. Letting go starts with revealing what’s inside. It’s like letting the air out of a balloon. Some people may not agree with this perspective and may feel like things should be left inside. But for those of us who hide in the shadows of dealing with depression and anxiety, releasing the pressure is a great avenue to feeling complete freedom from the things you’re choking back. Forgiveness starts with openness.