17/11/2025
Stuck on an Emotional Loop? Here's the Science Behind It—And How Therapy Helps 🧠
Fascinating fact from neuroscience: an emotion, in its purest form, only lasts in your body for about 90 seconds. That initial surge of anger, panic, or sadness is a biochemical wave that passes relatively quickly.
So why does it often feel so much longer? Because after the 90-second mark, it’s our thoughts that keep the storm alive. We get stuck on a loop, replaying the story, worrying about the "what ifs," and criticising ourselves. We become both the audience and the projector of our own distress.
Understanding this is one thing. Breaking the loop is another. This is where therapy comes in.
As a counsellor, my role is to help you:
🔹 Pause the Projector: Learn to notice the initial 90-second wave without being swept away by it. We work on grounding techniques that anchor you in the present moment.
🔹 Rewrite the Script: Identify the automatic thought patterns that follow the emotion. Together, we gently challenge and reframe these narratives so they no longer hold the same power over you.
🔹 Install a New Program: Develop personalised, healthy coping strategies so you can respond to difficult emotions with choice, not react from a place of overwhelm.
Therapy provides the tools and the safe, supportive space to understand your unique loops and, ultimately, to change them. You can move from feeling controlled by your emotions to understanding they are temporary visitors, and you are the calm, capable keeper of your own home.
If you're tired of feeling stuck on repeat, you don't have to figure it out alone. I help clients understand the science of their emotions and build the skills to manage them effectively.
Ready to learn how to press stop on the loop? Send me a DM or book a free introductory call via my website to see how we can work together. www.deeprootscounsellingservice.co.uk
