FEELINGS: OVERCOMING THE NUMB ZONE

THE PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION:

The purpose of this section is to help those who are begining to recognize the emotions inside of them, be better able to name what they are feeling. For me, naming what was going on inside of me helped to give validity to my experiences. It reminded me that my emotions were "real" and something that many others dealt with everyday. They weren't some foreign entity that was going to swallow me up, or consume me. They were temporary states of being that, if allowed to be recognized and felt through, would help me in living my life to the fullest. I encourage you to refer to this list often.

For those of you who have been living with the "numbness" created and sustained by Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge-Eating Disorder, and other Eating Disorders, the feelings listed here may be nothing more than words on paper. I urge you not to allow them to stay that way.

ORIGINS OF THE LIST: Many years ago, while attending a local support group, I was given a copy of a feelings checklist by a very special group leader. He encouraged all of us to take this list and our trusty dictionaries, and write the definitions of each and every emotion referenced. This was one of the hardest experiences of my recovery but it was also one of the most useful. For in doing this, I was able to realize how foreign even the simplest emotions were to me. For years to come, I would hold onto this list, and when I would start to panic because I was experiencing something I did not understand, I would refer to it and I would say: "That's it! That's the name of what is happening inside me. I am happy, sad, hurt, panicked, etc." With this realization, the "feelings" did not seem quite so impossible to live through. I hope that the same, in time, will be true for each of you.

FEELINGS CHECKLIST:

A

B

Bad, Beautiful, Betrayed, Bitter, Blissful, Boastful, Bold, Bored, Bossy, Brave, Burdened

C

Calm, Capable, Captivated, Careless, Cautious, Challenged, Changeable, Charmed, Cheated, Cheerful, Childish, Civilized, Clear-Thinking, Clever, Coarse, Cold, Combative, Commonplace, Competitive, Complaining, Conceited, Condemned, Confident, Confused, Conspicuous, Conscientious, Conservative, Considerate, Contented, Contrite, Conventional, Cool, Cooperative, Courageous, Cowardly, Cruel, Crushed, Curious, Cynical

D

Daring, Deceitful, Defeated, Defensive, Delighted, Demanding, Dependable, Dependent, Depressed, Desirous, Desolate, Despondent, Destructive, Determined, Different, Diffident, Dignified, Diminished, Disappointed, Discontented, Discreet, Disorderly, Dissatisfied, Distracted, Distraught, Distrustful, Disturbed, Divided, Dominant, Dominated, Dreamy, Dubious, Dull

E

Eager, Easygoing, Ecstatic, Efficient, Effeminate, Egotistical, Electrified, Emotional, Empathetic, Enchanted, Energetic, Enervated, Enraged, Enterprising, Enthusiastic, Envious, Evasive, Evil, Exasperated, Excitable, Excited, Exhausted

F

Fabulous, Fair-Minded, Fascinated, Fawning, Fearful, Feminine, Flustered, Foolish, Forceful, Foresighted, Forgetful, Forgiving, Formal, Frank, Frantic, Free, Friendly, Frightened, Frivolous, Frustrated, Full, Fussy

G

Generous, Gentle, Glad, Gloomy, Good, Good-Natured, Gratified, Greedy, Groovy, Guilty, Gullible

H

Happy, Hard-Headed, Hard-Hearted, Hasty, Hateful, Headstrong, Heavenly, Helpful, High, High-Strung, Homesick, Honest, Honored, Horrible, Hostile, Humorless, Humorous, Hurried, Hurt, Hysterical

I

Idealistic, Ignored, Imaginative, Immature, Immoral, Immortal, Impatient, Imposed Upon, Impressed, Independent, Indifferent, Individualistic, Industrious, Infantile, Infatuated, Informal, Infuriated, Ingenious, Inhibited, Inspired, Intelligent, Intimate, Intolerant, Inventive, Irresponsible, Irritable, Irritated, Isolated

J

Jealous, Jolly, Joyous, Jumpy

K

Keen, Kicky, Kind

L

Laconic, Lazy, Lecherous, Left Out, Leisurely, Licentious, Logical, Lonely, Longing, Loud, Lovable, Loving, Low, Loyal

M

Mad, Mannerly, Masculine, Mature, Maudlin, Mean, Meek, Melancholy, Mild, Mischievous, Miserable, Moderate, Modest, Moody, Mystical

N

Nagging, Natural, Naughty, Nervous, Nice, Noisy, Nutty

O

Obliging, Obnoxious, Obsessed, Odd, Opposed, optimistic, Opinionated, Organized, Original, Outgoing, Outraged, Outspoken, Overwhelmed

P

Pained, Painstaking, Panicked, Parsimonious, Patient, Peaceful, Peculiar, Persecuted, Persevering, Persistent, Pessimistic, Petrified, Pitiful, Pleasant, Pleased, Poised, Polished, Practical, Praising, Precarious, Precise, Prejudiced, Preoccupied, Pressured, Pretty, Prim, Prissy, Progressive, Proper, Proud, Prudish

Q

Quarrelsome, Quiet

R

Rational, Rattled, Real, Realistic, Reasonable, Rebellious, Reckless, Reflective, Refreshed, Rejected, Relaxed, Reliable, Relieved, Remorseful, Resentful, Reserved, Resourceful, Responsible, Restless, Reverent, Rewarded, Righteous, Rigid, Rude

S

Sad, Sarcastic, Sated, Satisfied, Scared, Screwed Up, Self-Assured, Self-Centered, Self-Confident, Self-Controlled, Self-Denying, Self-Pitying, Self-Punishing, Self-Seeking, Selfish, Sensitive, Sentimental, Serious, Servile, Settled, Severe, Sexy, Shallow, Sharp-Witted, Shiftless, Shocked, Show-Offish, Shrewd, Shy, Silent, Silly, Simple, Sincere, Skeptical, Slipshod, Slow, Sly, Smug, Sneaky, Snobbish, Sociable, Soft-Hearted, Solemn, Sophisticated, Sorrowful, Spendthrift, Spineless, Spiteful, Spontaneous, Spunky, Stable, Startled, Steady, Stern, Stingy, Stolid, Strangled, Strong, Stubborn, Stupid, Stunned, Submissive, Suffering, Sulky, Superstitious, Sure, Suspicious, Sympathetic

T

Tactful, Tactless, Talkative, Temperamental, Tempted, Tenacious, Tense, Tentative, Terrible, Terrified, Tenuous, Thankful, Thankless, Thorough, Thoughtful, Threatened, Thrifty, Thwarted, Timid, Tolerant, Touchy, Tough, Trapped, Troubled, Trusting

U

Ugly, Unaffected, Unambitious, Unassuming, Undependable, Understanding, Uneasy, Unemotional, Unexcitable, Unfriendly, Uninhibited, Unintelligent, Unkind, Unrealistic, Unscrupulous, Unselfish, Unsettled, Unstable

V

Vehement, Versatile, Vindictive, Violent, Vital, Vivacious, Vulnerable

W

Warm, Wary, Weak, Weepy, Whiny, Wholesome, Wicked, Wild, Withdrawn, Wise, Witty, Wonderful, Worried, Worthless

Y

Young

Z

Zany, Zealous

This Page Last Updated On 8/1/98