emotional suppression

[ɪˈmoʊʃənəl səˈprɛʃən]
nounpl: emotional suppressions
supressão emocional
1. The act of consciously or unconsciously restraining, controlling, or inhibiting the expression of emotions
Years of emotional suppression led to serious mental health issues.
Anos de supressão emocional levaram a sérios problemas de saúde mental.
2. A psychological defense mechanism where feelings are held back or hidden rather than expressed
His emotional suppression made it difficult for him to maintain healthy relationships.
Sua supressão emocional dificultava a manutenção de relacionamentos saudáveis.
3. The deliberate or habitual blocking of emotional responses and reactions
Emotional suppression is often used as a coping strategy in traumatic situations.
A supressão emocional é frequentemente usada como estratégia de enfrentamento em situações traumáticas.
In American culture, emotional suppression has historically been associated with stoicism and professionalism, particularly in corporate environments and among men. In Brazilian culture, there is generally greater acceptance of emotional expression, though emotional suppression still occurs as a response to trauma or social pressure. Modern psychology in both cultures increasingly recognizes emotional suppression as potentially harmful and advocates for healthy emotional expression and processing.
NYC Slang
holding it in; bottling up; keeping it locked down
Synonyms / Sinônimos
emotional repressionaffect suppressionfeelings inhibitionemotional restraintaffect control
Antonyms / Antônimos
emotional expressionemotional releaseemotional opennessemotional catharsis

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
supressão emocional
Standard usage in psychology and everyday discourse
Rio de Janeiro
abafamento emocional
Common colloquial alternative emphasizing the suffocating aspect
São Paulo
supressão emocional / bloqueio emocional
Both terms widely used in therapeutic and corporate contexts
Portugal
supressão emocional / repressão afectiva
More formal psychological terminology; 'afectiva' preferred in European Portuguese

Related Words

emotional regulationemotional intelligencecoping mechanismspsychological defenseaffect managementemotional avoidance

Related Idioms & Phrases

keeping emotions bottled up
wearing a poker face
keeping a stiff upper lip
masking one's feelings
abafar os sentimentos (PT-BR)
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