To say we have plenty to scream about these days is an understatement.
In my opinion, when people think about screaming, they think about the over-the-top shrieks in horror movies and the voices of protesters flooding through crowded streets.
I think about all of the times I’ve screamed while playing exterminator to gigantic bugs on my white wall and envision the sound of the crowd when I saw Astroworld live in concert.
It’s a very misunderstood action in society. There are far more negative scenarios than positive ones where screaming is considered a reasonable response. That only makes it harder for new beliefs about ‘healthy screaming’ to break through.
There’s a universal message behind screaming that we don’t talk about or acknowledge very often. We were taught not to scream unless it’s necessary because it would make people question our safety. According to societal standards, we could come across as being obnoxious or immature, among other subjections of judgement. For example, if I were to scream in aisle 5 of my local grocery store, I would definitely receive an overwhelming amount of concerned stares.
This is really fucking ironic to me.
Think about how we entered this world- screaming.
As we were propelled from the womb, the first thing to come out of our mouths was an ear-screeching scream-cry that undoubtedly sounded horrific (and traumatizing to my mother).
We were newborns that had just taken our first breath of oxygen, and it probably sucked. Although I can’t remember how it felt to float in the sac of fluid I marinated in for almost 10 months, I’m sure it was an adjustment going from that serene personal sauna to breathing polluted hospital air.
Now that we’re older and still breathing that same air, there’s an immediate negative reaction around letting out this particular projection of sound.
That infuriates me to my core.
There have been so many moments in my life where I’ve wanted (no, needed) to scream until my throat burned and my lungs completely deflated of oxygen. I'm sure you can relate.
In my opinion, it’s okay to scream.
Honestly, it’s more than okay. Screaming at the top of your lungs about what’s on your mind might be one of the most therapeutic ways to feel better.
Picture this:
You’re with the best person you’ve met so far in your lifetime, cruising down 95 with nothing but an open road and blinding car headlights in sight. The windows are down and your favorite song is flooding through the speakers. You stick your head out of the window, and you scream. Innocently. Happily.
You scream into the pitch-black air, and no one hears you but you and that person.
Suddenly, the test you failed that morning, the shitty memory of your first time, and your daddy issues all fly out the window and dissipate into nothing.
That scream temporarily releases everything. All of the trauma, pain, and emotional baggage; it's all paused. Everything you’ve been carrying around for too long (momentarily) no longer hurts.
For that split second, you can stop being consumed by the things that have been weighing you down. You can let yourself let go.
Yes, your throat will be scratchy, and your lungs will burn for air, but that’s what I call self-care.
Giving yourself the chance to mentally and physically purge is self-care.
Unfortunately we can’t scream forever, but the good news is that you can scream again and again, as many times as you need to, for however long you need to release and reset.
What would you scream if you had the chance?
Sometimes I don’t want to speak. All I want to do is keep my thoughts buried deep in my mind so I don’t have to face them.
The most incredible thing about screaming is that you don’t need to speak. You can scream whatever phrases, thoughts, or feelings you want. You can also just simply not say anything at all. Either way, it will provide you with a sense of relief.
Bottling up your feelings will do more harm than good in the long run; trust me when I say it’s not a beneficial coping mechanism.
I think about why I love going to concerts, riding on roller coasters, and driving on the highway at night with my best friend.
There’s a certain freedom, a certain release, that comes from being loud and shutting out the world. Even if just for a split second. It’s truly unmatched.
Screaming is not the end-all-be-all for curing anything. It’s like putting a Band-Aid over an open wound.
Still, it’s a form of therapy, that at no cost, relieves all of the pent-up emotions that cloud our vision daily. No contradictions, no advice, and no judgment. The only response you’ll ever get is the silence that fills the void of your scream.
Go ahead, find that spot where you can tune down the world and turn up your voice. Just let it out.