Suppression: The act of consciously or unconsciously stopping, holding back, or pushing down a feeling, thought, or impulse. Emotional suppression isn’t a personality flaw. It’s a nervous‑system strategy. A survival pattern. A way the body protects you when expression feels unsafe, overwhelming, or too costly. For many neurodivergent and trauma‑affected people, suppression becomes automatic, long before they even realise they’re doing it. Below is a clear breakdown of why su