What are emotions?
Emotions are the sensations in the body as a result of something that happens to us. Feelings are generated from our thoughts about those emotions and we then choose a response. People often find it very hard to recognise their emotions and feelings. The exercises in this module aim to help you get more in tune with your body so that you notice how it is responding in different situations.
Starting point
Use this quiz to identify your current level of confidence.
What happens in my body?
Here are some of the physical reactions we have to situations:
These reactions are generally preparing us for a ‘fight or flight’ response (so we could face a predator or flee to safety) which would have helped ensure our survival. Now these signs can be used to help us identify what we are feeling.
Exercise 1 – How in-tune with your emotions are you?
Below is a worksheet which will help you to identify what happens to you physically and how this affects you. By completing this in different situations you should be able to decide what emotion you experience.
Ask others |
Ask myself |
| What expression does my face show? | What does my body feel like? |
| How do I say I feel? | What am I thinking about? |
| What do I do? | What do I feel like doing? |
How does understanding my feelings my feelings link to sexual thoughts and behaviours?
Some of the common reasons identified by individuals who have accessed sexual images of children include dealing with negative emotions such as stress, loneliness, frustration, depression and anxiety.
They often describe using sexual fantasy and masturbation or illegal on-line behaviour as a way of coping with negative feelings and situations – a form of self-soothing, escapism and stress relief.
They may be aware that these are not coping strategies but for a variety of reasons struggle to identify other more positive ways of dealing with these feelings. Improving your ability to regulate and manage your emotions and deal positively with problems in your life is likely to reduce the probability of engaging in problematic sexual behaviour and harming children.
