Among a lot of social and psychological problems, one is emotional vulnerability. It is natural, and some people are just born that way. Those who are emotionally vulnerable can pick up little emotional details from their surroundings that others usually ignore. People having this ability are excellent at reading facial expressions while noticing intense emotions. Moreover, they experience emotions more frequently as compared to others, and their experiences mostly revolve around unexplainable bursts of emotions. So, people with emotional vulnerability have intense emotions with long-lasting effects, and they feel like their feelings and emotions are hitting them like tons of bricks. If they are upset or sad, they can act impulsively, and it will take longer to stabilize their emotions. CLICK HERE GET SELF IMPROVEMENT COACHING NOW

This article is all about emotional vulnerability; you will be able to know how you can use it to your benefit and how you can control it. So, let’s get started:

Emotional vulnerability meaning

What is emotional vulnerability meaning? Here is a definition so that you can have a better understanding:

“It’s the ability or willingness to acknowledge (and potentially express) one’s emotions. Particularly those emotions that are difficult or painful. Emotions such as shame, sadness, anxiety, insecurity, etc. Though it’s important to note that acknowledging does not mean wallowing or becoming fixated.”

Emotional vulnerability examples

Being emotionally vulnerable means you are emotionally authentic, no matter how terrifying it might seem like. You must appear as your true self with all your emotions, fears, flaws, and desires. But being emotionally vulnerable requires courage. While being vulnerable, we take emotional risks without considering outcomes. The chance of rejection is always there, but someone who is vulnerable will never think about it.

For everyone, vulnerability looks different; what you find vulnerable may seem easy to someone else and vice versa. Being vulnerable does not seem similar universally. But there are some common emotional vulnerability examples that you might find relatable.

Doing things that you think you are not good at

Nobody wants to feel bad about what they do. You might have struggled with doing something, but for people around you, it was easy. Being bad at something does not feel good. Our imagination fills with criticism and embarrassment not only from ourselves but also from others. You might become an expert on that thing after a while, but those initial few moments of being bad at it were nothing close to joyful. For trying out new things, vulnerability is necessary. Those who are not afraid to try new things are emotionally vulnerable.

Tell the truth

How frequently have you sat quietly beside somebody figuring, I disagree with what you’re saying at present? It’s simpler to keep our convictions calm; we like to satisfy others, and our way of life makes us need to stay away from conflict. Fitting in turns out to be a higher priority than talking about our reality.

This decision to be quiet may cause us to feel great for that time; however, it will not help us for a long time. To carry on with a fearless, significant life, we must voice our viewpoints and convictions. The main way we’ll feel the acknowledgment that we need.

Allow yourself to feel your emotions.

Another way we shield ourselves from being helpless is by ignoring our feelings. We will not allow ourselves to feel intense emotions. “I’m fine,” we obstinately repeat, scared to look at reality. A lot of us shut out our feelings with different distractions, regardless of whether through working, drinking, media, etc. Unfortunately, this craving to “numb” our feelings is something contrary to being vulnerable. As per Brené Brown,

“We cannot selectively numb emotions. When we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions.”

Strong feelings make us feel terrified, and I’m not simply discussing the negative ones. Happiness and love are unbelievably vulnerable, also. They make us care about others, and we might risk losing someone. But being emotionally vulnerable means letting yourself feel the emotions, whether weak or strong.

Breaking stereotypes

Recall that extreme need for having a place that we as a whole have? We all want to fit in so bad sometimes we try really hard to not create waves. Unfortunately, this means sticking to the stereotypes. All cultures expect a few things for us to follow, and most of us try to fulfill these expectations and try to live up to the standards of society. Being vulnerable means breaking these stereotypes and doing whatever you feel like.

Talking naturally with others

We live in a culture where confrontation is discouraged. When we need to get genuine with somebody, we promptly feel ourselves beginning to sweat. If you feel this way, you are not alone; everyone struggles with hard conversations. These discussions may come as a conflict with somebody we love, a feedback session for a colleague, or an expression of your feelings. Rather than talking sincerely, we try to hide behind silence and false niceties. That’s when miscommunication occurs, and growth is stunted.

Opening up

The most common example of vulnerability is trusting someone else. For the most part, this trust doesn’t come in one major plunge. It’s a cycle that is made. With vulnerability, there’s a chance for a bit more trust, and afterward, a little more vulnerability, and so on. Yet, somebody needs to break vulnerability ice.

Vulnerable individuals usually open up first. Furthermore, this underlying demonstration shouldn’t be a major reveal, either. (Truth be told, that is typically not helpful) It may be just a simple comment about how you feel or accepting that you are struggling. If you uncover one layer in front of others, it means you are letting yourself be authentic with others.

Requesting help

One of the most important things to hurt vulnerability is a mindset like, “I can do it alone!”. Tragically, our way of life or of independence has energized this thought of freedom.

Asking for help might not be easy, but it is much better than trying to do everything alone. This illustration of vulnerability incorporates all issues of life. Regardless of whether you’re working, seeing someone, or just walking on the road, your ability to ask for help is very precious.

Emotional vulnerability psychology

Emotional vulnerability psychology roots in your childhood upbringing. Some people are naturally emotionally vulnerable, and some are not. If someone during their childhood had been through a trauma or had an emotionally distant parent, they might become emotionally vulnerable. They start acting impulsively, but this does not happen in every case. Some children become emotionally distant too.

Emotional vulnerability autism

Emotional vulnerability autism increases the chances of negative life experiences, including financial hardships, employment difficulties, and domestic abuse. Those who have autism spectrum disorders have deficits in social interactions, emotional regulations, and communication and will show repetitive behaviors. Such people can become extremely impulsive and reactive to the environment and may engage in emotional outbursts at times.

Emotional vulnerability abuse

Emotional vulnerability abuse is psychological, not physical, naturally. It can include anything from intimidation, criticism, verbal abuse, and some other tactics like constant displeasure or manipulation. It is a continuous process in which one individual diminishes the other’s self-esteem. Here are some types of emotional abuse:

Dismissing – Telling somebody that they are useless or that no other person will need them. Telling a kid in an assortment of ways that the person is undesirable.

Disregarding – Being truly present yet emotionally unavailable or failing to give nurturance. Rejecting that both person’s requirements are significant in the relationship.

Isolating — Keeping somebody through intimidation or manipulation from loved ones or companions and other fun activities.

Degradation of Embarrassment – Calling somebody names, ridiculing them in private or public circumstances, driving somebody to participate in humiliating practices.

Show of force and dangers — Using threats to build up control, for example, taking steps to leave, taking steps to commit suicide, or to kill you. Utilizing terrorizing strategies to instill fear, for example, punching holes in walls, etc.

Limiting – An abuser might minimize the emotional reaction or experience of the recipient, for example, saying, “You are overreacting” or “You are too sensitive.”

Blaming and accusing — Turning something the other way and blaming the recipient of abuse, denouncing them, or faulting them for causing the anger of the abuser.

Criticizing/Judging — Telling somebody how fat, stupid, ugly, or weird they are.

Emotional vulnerability dbt

Being emotionally vulnerable is very important for everyone. It helps us in accepting our emotions rather than ignoring them. But sometimes, people become extremely impulsive, and extreme emotional vulnerability can make things difficult. Don’t worry; you can handle this situation if you are extremely vulnerable emotionally. Here is a really helpful emotional vulnerability dbt therapy for you that will help you for sure:

Observe and acknowledge your feelings

The initial step is to see and acknowledge your feelings. Attempt to become familiar with being uncomfortable. You might not need to like the feeling, however, acknowledge that it is there. Emotional Vulnerability is established in driving those feelings away by another behavior, yet recall that they frequently return. Take some time to sit down and see and acknowledge those feelings.

Be wise

Ensure that you’re enacting your insightful psyche and are not making decisions or thoughts or feelings in extremes. Balance is what you need, and it is very complicated to walk on the middle path while working via dialectical dilemmas.

Being Mindful

Be nonjudgmental and observe your thoughts without effectively attempting to control them. Try to understand your thoughts the way they are and accept them. This reduces the tendency to behave impulsively. The objective of being mindful is to stay aware and open of your considerations, sentiments, triggers, and reactions by remaining present and engaged. In this manner, you might see an abatement in feeling stressed or upset.

Feeling Regulation: Considering the Facts and PLEASE.

Checking the realities is an ability that permits you to tone down the force of the outrageous feelings by posing inquiries, for example, “What ended up setting off my feeling?” and “What suppositions did I make about the occasion to cause my feeling?” Remember, just focus on the facts about the situation.

PLEASE is focused on directing emotional vulnerability via maintenance of balanced lifestyle intentionally:

PL: Physical sickness

E: Eat in a balanced way

A: Avoid mood-altering substances

S: Sleep well

E: Exercise

Acceptance radically

Revolutionary Acceptance is an amazing Dialectical Behavior Therapy skill. It is tied in with tolerating the things that we can’t change, regardless of the amount we might want to. Work on tolerating your feelings. We can acknowledge something without liking it. You don’t need to like that feeling, yet it is there and tolerating it fairly attempting to transform it or push it away is superior to battling that feeling.

Emotional vulnerability test

There are plenty of emotional vulnerability tests available, but these tests do not give 100% accurate answers. Only a professional mental health service provider can help you with that. But here is an example of an emotional vulnerability test for you:

Have you been heartbroken?

A lot of times, really.
Not once.
Yes, but I’m managing it.
I break the hearts

Have you broken anybody’s heart?

Just once
A couple of times
Never
I can’t remember

Do you often get tired and lonely?

True
Not true
Only the lonely part
Only the tired part

Do you cry?

Yes
No
Rarely
Sometimes

Do you have Problems expressing your emotions?

Yes
No
Sometimes
Hardly

Do you have a partner?

Yes
No
Sometimes
Hardly

Do you often feel lost in the world?

Yes
No
Sometimes
Hardly

Are you always sad?

Yes
No
Sometimes
Hardly

Are you never bothered about life?

Yes! Why let life get to you
This is totally me
Life has to always bother
Sometimes, I have this energy

Do you have regrets?

Always
No
Sometimes
I’m proud of everything I have done

You have to choose one most relatable answer, and after your answers are submitted, the result will be assessed and shared with you.

Emotional vulnerability in health and social care

Here are some Emotional vulnerability in health and social care quotes for you:

“The world has enough women who live a masked insecurity. It needs more women who live a brave vulnerability.” – Ann Voskamp.
“People cry, not because they’re weak. It’s because they’ve been strong for too long.” – Johnny Depp.
“My one area of vulnerability was I didn’t know how to have a healthy relationship with a man.” -Carole King.
“Embrace your vulnerability and celebrate your flaws; it will let you appreciate the world around you and make you more compassionate.” -Masaba Gupta.
“One thing to remember is that human beings connect through vulnerability. That’s our core way of connecting.” -Zoe Buckman.
“We have to transcend our own negativity and vulnerability and work from our own inner security.” -James Redfield.
“Vulnerability is not weakness. I define vulnerability as emotional risk, exposure, uncertainty. It fuels our daily lives.” -Brené Brown.
“I did not learn about vulnerability and courage and creativity and innovation from studying vulnerability. I learned about these things from studying shame.” -Brené Brown.
“What makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful.” -Brené Brown.
“To create is to make something that has never existed before. There’s nothing more vulnerable than that. Adaptability to change is all about vulnerability.” -Brené Brown.
“Until we can receive with an open heart, we’re never really giving with an open heart. When we attach judgment to receiving help, we knowingly or unknowingly attach judgment to giving help.” -Brené Brown, ‘The Gifts Of Imperfection.’
“Faith is a place of mystery, where we find the courage to believe in what we cannot see and the strength to let go of our fear of uncertainty.” -Brené Brown,’ The Gifts Of Imperfection.’
“To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength.” – Criss Jami.
“What happens when people open their hearts? They get better.” – Haruki Murakami, ‘Norwegian Wood.’
“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.” -Brené Brown.
“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness.” -Brené Brown.
“I think Freddie Mercury is probably the best of all time in terms of a rock voice. There was a vulnerability to it, his technical ability was amazing, and so much of his personality would come out through his voice. I’m not even a guy to buy Queen records, really, and I still think he’s one of the best.” -Chris Cornell.
“Out of our vulnerabilities will come to your strength.” -Sigmund Freud.
“I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness, and the willingness to remain vulnerable.” -Anne Morrow Lindbergh, ‘Gift From The Sea.’
“Vulnerability is the birthplace of connection and the path to the feeling of worthiness. If it doesn’t feel vulnerable, the sharing is probably not constructive.” -Brené Brown.
“There is a difference between vulnerability and telling people everything about yourself. Vulnerability is a feeling. Telling everyone about yourself is just facts and details.” -Simon Sinek.
“One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone.” – Shannon L. Alder.
“Why is female vulnerability still only acceptable when it’s neuroticised and personal, when it feeds back on itself? Why do people still not get it when we handle vulnerability like philosophy, at some remove?” – Chris Kraus.
“We are vulnerable, not fragile, but our desire to go through life without feeling pain makes us feel fragile.” – LuiginaSgarro.
“Putting our art out there is one of the biggest risks we can take. It’s a special kind of vulnerability. It takes guts to be an artist.” -Teresa R. Funke, ‘Bursts Of Brilliance For a Creative Life Blog.’
“Everybody is equally weak on the inside, just that some present their ruins as new castles and become kings.” – Simona Panova.
“Be careful with whom you associate, especially when you feel emotionally vulnerable because negative people can steal the dream right out of your heart.” -Joel Osteen.
“We’re never so vulnerable than when we trust someone – but paradoxically, if we cannot trust, neither can we find love or joy.” – Walter Anderson.
“And maybe that was love. Being so vulnerable and allowing someone else in so far they could hurt you, but they also give you everything.” – Christine Feehan, ‘Water Bound.’
“Vulnerability is basically uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.” -Brené Brown.
“Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity.” – Brené Brown.
“We need to feel trust to be vulnerable, and we need to be vulnerable in order to trust.” – Brené Brown, ‘Daring Greatly: How The Courage To Be Vulnerable Transforms The Way We Live, Love, Parent, And Lead.’
“People can be at their most vulnerable, but still tenacious at the same time.” – Toni Bernhard.
“Courage is vulnerability. Vulnerability is courage. Like shadow and light, neither one can exist without the other.” – Wai Lan Yuen.
“To take the risk of loving, we must become vulnerable enough to test the radical proposition that knowledge of another and self-revelation will ultimately increase rather than decrease love. ” – Sam Keen,’ To Love And Be Loved.’
“You can change the world again, instead of protecting yourself from it.” – Julien Smith, ‘The Flinch.’
“Your sweet, vulnerable parts deep down inside are very easy to love…trust me.” -Figs O’Sullivan.
“People who know me know I’m strong, but I’m vulnerable.” -Catherine Deneuve.
“Vulnerability is the essence of connection, and the connection is the essence of existence.” -Leo Christopher.
“There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal.” – C. S . Lewis.
“If we’re wrapping ourselves up to conceal any vulnerability, whatever happens to us has to go through all those extra layers. Sometimes love doesn’t even reach where we truly live.”- Alexandra Katehakis.
” The strongest love is the love that can demonstrate its fragility.” – Paulo Coelho.
“The older I become, the more I dream of a world where I don’t need so much armor.” – J.M. Storm.
“Vulnerability is the strongest state to be in. How boring would it be if we were constantly dominant or constantly submissive?” -FKA twigs.
“There’s monsters in all of us, but there’s also vulnerability.” -Finn Wittrock.
“I do feel that softness for the vulnerability and the innocence in our world, including my own.” -Jane Lynch.
“My music is about being strong, even in your vulnerability.” -Miranda Lambert.
“Heroes are higher than their vulnerability. That is why they are heroes.” – Amit Kalantri.

Conclusion

Emotional vulnerability is very beneficial. You can connect with someone at an emotional level; thus, it will strengthen your relationships. Emotional vulnerability is not just helpful in the case of relationships, but it also helps you with your work life.

So this was all about emotional vulnerability; I have tried my best to share useful information with you hope you will find it helpful.

Emotional vulnerability