From Numb to Empowered: Why Avoiding Pain Keeps You Stuck

Let’s be real — pain hurts. And most of us, at some point or another, have tried to run from it.

We scroll. We drink. We overeat. We binge shows, dive into work, or stay “busy” so we don’t have to feel what’s waiting underneath the surface. These numbing behaviors are sneaky — they masquerade as coping, but they really keep us stuck.

The truth? Avoiding pain doesn’t protect us. It paralyzes us.

If any of that hits home — you're not alone. I lived it too. I numbed with alcohol for decades, believing that staying “strong” meant staying disconnected from my pain.

If you’re on a journey of emotional healing, this might be the most important lesson you learn: You have to feel it to heal it.

We live in a culture of distraction, and numbing has become almost automatic, but when you decide to free yourself from numbing, you have the power to face life’s challenges with clarity, focus and power.

Strength isn’t about avoiding the storm — it’s about standing in it, feeling every drop, and choosing to keep going anyway.