Being a Proud Emotional Maniac

Have you ever felt like people are looking at you like you’re some kind of Emotional Maniac—just because you dared to have a feeling in public? You know, something outrageous like… sadness, joy, panic, or heaven forbid—vulnerability?

Let’s talk about one of therapy’s juiciest paradoxes: In order to deal with an emotion, you have to actually... feel it. Shocking, I know.

Take anxiety, for example. Most people try to "fix" anxiety by becoming emotionally constipated. "If I just don’t feel anxious," they think, "then maybe the anxiety will get confused, pack its bags, and leave me alone." Nice try. But no. By the time you do realize you need to open up and feel your feelings, it’s already terrifying. Suddenly, you're not just anxious—you’re anxious about being anxious. Welcome to Emotional Inception.

And to add to the mix, society throws in its own expectations. You’re not just supposed to manage your emotions—no, no. You’re supposed to be a highly functioning, emotionally neutral robot with one accepted line: “I’m okay.” Say it. Smile. Blink twice. Get a gold star.

But heaven forbid you actually express something. If you do—gasp!—you might get labeled as an “Emotional Maniac.” Yes, that term was invented by someone I know, and I’ve decided to reclaim it, slap it on a T-shirt, and wear it with pride.

Here’s the truth: being labeled an “emotional maniac” isn’t about having emotions—it’s about others being uncomfortable with the fact that you allow yourself to feel them. That’s it. You’re not running through the streets shouting your feelings like you’re the main character in a season finale meltdown. You’re just... experiencing life like a human. A complex, nuanced, feeling-based human. Unbelievable, right?

Controlling your emotions is not the same as not having them. And pretending not to feel isn't strength—it's self-abandonment with a better outfit.

So yes, I’m an emotional maniac. I feel deeply, cry when I need to, laugh loudly, and occasionally spiral before bedtime. But I show up, I do the work, and I keep growing. Because owning your feelings is not weakness—it’s how you Make It Possible.