Since childhood, many of us have been taught not to yell, yell, or “make noise” when we are hurt or experiencing emotional pain. Even if as an adult you sometimes feel the need to yell out loud in frustration, stress, or pain, the “norms” of society prevent most of us from doing so. You’d probably get some weird looks if you did!
However, suppressing feelings can have negative effects. You can’t build them anywhere, so to speak. Letting them cry, talk to someone, or even yell can be cathartic. It can be liberating when you feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.
Many therapies are based on addressing past traumas and dealing with your emotions rather than ignoring them. Primal Scream Therapy does this in a unique way, so let’s dig in and find out more.
What is Primal Scream Therapy?
Primal Scream Therapy is a type of psychotherapy that encourages people to address past trauma and negative memories so they can let go of those emotions and move on. It is also known simply as “primary therapy.”
Primal Therapy was developed in the late 1960s by psychologist and psychoanalyst Dr. Arthur Janov. In the 1970s he wrote a book about it called The Primal Scream.
dr. Janov believed that suppressed emotions could have significant negative effects on mental and physical health over time, leading to a variety of health problems. Current science agrees to some degree, suggesting that not addressing your emotions can contribute to poor health.
Over time, suppressing your emotions can lead to anxiety, chronic stress, depression, and other mental illnesses. You may feel tense and very anxious, a little on edge all the time.
Over time, you “teach” yourself not to let your emotions out, which can affect relationships with others, daily interactions, and personal development. If you don’t express yourself, other people can’t understand who you really are and how you feel, which can make you feel lonely.
Research shows that when we don’t address negative emotions, they actually amplify them. Think about it, if you’re mad at someone but don’t talk to them about it, over time that anger burns and resentment builds up. The relationship between you becomes strained and you find very annoying things that you do that you normally wouldn’t bother. One day, that anger will flare up more than it originally would have and lead to a fight.
Evidence shows that suppressed emotions can even affect your physical health, making you more prone to developing chronic conditions or even serious illnesses. Your body is simply not designed to handle all of that tension and stress over a long period of time.
Doctor Arthur Janov called these repressed feelings and memories of the trauma “primal pain.” He believed that letting go of these feelings could help people get over their past and solve all kinds of health problems.
dr. Arthur Janov explains: “We found a way to access these early emotional archives and learned how to access these memories, bring them out of the unconscious to re-experience them in the present, integrate them and nothing more. being driven by the unconscious.”
How does it work?
It all makes sense, but how does therapy work? Well, the point is that patients are led to “regress” which means that they are brought back to traumatic memories and relive what happened as if they were reliving it. They are encouraged to express their feelings during this process by talking, crying, yelling, making noise, and even yelling (as the name suggests).
When patients let their emotions out, they can experience a variety of emotions, which can be quite uncomfortable for some people. You may begin to feel relief and a sense of relaxation as the feelings (and any power they have) leave your body.
After that, the therapist reviews what happened during the session and helps the patient make connections between his past and the feelings he is expressing. Essentially, they will help you talk about the feelings that have come up, understand them, and find some kind of closure.
The goal is for you to feel free to move on and continue with your life after you resolve past issues that you were holding on to. If you choose Primal Therapy, you will be accompanied by a qualified therapist who will guide you through the process in a safe space. It may take several sessions over time to really get to the root of your problems, especially if you have experienced a lot of trauma in your life.
If you’d like to learn more about Primal Therapy from the Founder himself, here’s a great video covering the basics.
Benefits of Primal Scream Therapy
There are many potential benefits of primary crying therapy for patients with repressed memories, trauma, and emotions.
It’s really important to mention here that there is very little scientific evidence for the benefits, instead these are mostly anecdotal reports (i.e. based on people’s personal experiences and not scientific research). This type of therapy can be quite controversial in the scientific community, as many people believe that it is not helpful or that it could harm patients.
However, many people over the years have found that technology has helped them. So if it appeals to you, there’s no harm in doing more research.
Potential benefits of primary cry therapy include:
Try Primal Scream Therapy
Although it can be very helpful to allow yourself to express your feelings, trying primary screaming therapy without supervision is not recommended.
If you feel that this type of therapy may be beneficial for you, it is very important that you find a primal therapy professional to guide you. Putting yourself in such a vulnerable state when you are alone without a trained professional could be detrimental.
That doesn’t mean you can’t try screaming into a pillow or go anywhere to scream at the top of your lungs. Sometimes that’s enough to let go of pent up feelings. It can also be a kind of emotion. Just make sure you don’t yell somewhere where other people might hear you and think you’re in danger!
If this type of therapy doesn’t appeal to you, there are many other types that might work for you. You can find more information in our therapy guide.
1. The Primal Center, (2008), “What is Primal Therapy?”
2. Lucy E. Cousins, (2018), “Is there a downside to always being positive?” The Australian Hospital Contribution Fund.
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