Dealing with intense negative emotions

Question

What would you recommend as a short-term fix for someone in serious psychological/emotional pain? If meditation, what kind?

I feel pretty angry/powerless/frustrated right now, or "unenlightened". I don't want a long-term solution, as any long-term goal requires short-term will which I don't feel I have. I find that the problem with overcoming powerlessness is that the process of "overcoming" in itself requires power, which by definition is not present in the powerless person.

So, in other words, how do things ever change or break out of their self-creating cycles? How are these cycles created to begin with? And, more specifically, how the hell do I get out of the cycle I've suddenly found myself in? How do I go from CONCEIVING of it as inescapable, to at least getting to the point where I CONCEIVE of it as fixable by me, and in other words, create something out of nothing, and not stay in this rut? Is it just by not thinking altogether, and deprogramming my mind to the point where I (or God, or the powers that be) can reprogram it again from scratch, but this time with superior software? I know this is a terrible SE question as it's so general, but I just really wanted to vent. I got out once, but apparently fell back again. I have no real clue how either happened right now, as I am totally, totally in the shit. Feel free to judge away, or not.

As a side note: AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EDIT: Ok, I've had some time to cool down and am feeling better now. Thanks to both Ahmed & jitin for hearing my rant; I will most definitely give the body scanning/observation technique a try.

Answer 1

Use the body scan emotional release technique.

Be calmly aware.

Don't desire to get rid of it.

Don't try to put it into thoughts (don't try to understand whatever situation this problem arose from). If your mind continues to try to figure it out, just notice that too. Realize that you are NOT your thoughts or emotions. You are the Mastermind, the Overseer, the Watcher. You are Him that sees all!

Just be with your pain and notice how it ever so slightly changes from one place to another, from one color to another, from one feeling to another.

JUST FEEL.

Don't force anything to happen, just FEEL what is.

Eventually, the energies will dissipate on their own and transform themselves into their positive counterparts.

These instructions are ample and I can confidently overcome leftover emotions from rejection, remaining hatred after argument, and even tiredness by using this practice. All these instructions are one step: totally accepting, almost-curious awareness. If it helps, you can prepare yourself by labelling the emotions or freely writing/journalling about them until you are ready to give them up--sometimes with extremely powerful emotions you HAVE to do that as preparation.

Also, don't be so ready to give them up. There is much to learn from great suffering.

Also, this practice is definitely a Buddhist practice of the highest standard (Vipassana) with infinite room to grow and you will be doing The Most Important Thing, carrying on your cultivation throughout your life and even beyond death.

Answer 2

The Discourse on the Stilling of Thoughts (Vitakka Saṇṭhāna Sutta) covers the strategy to deal with such thoughts. The First Discourse on Removing Resentment and The Second Discourse on Removing Resentment deals with anger management. The 5 steps in the process are:

First is that you realise that you have a negative emotion. If this does not happen you will miss the subsequent steps.

1. You can replace the thoughts with more wholesome thoughts
2. Look at the downside of such thoughts
3. Do not pay attention (do breathe meditation)
4. Calming down the thought process and cause:
   • removal of cause
     1. The thoughts can be triggered by some sensation in the body. Scan you body for such sensations.
     2. The thoughts when coming in contact with the mind sense door causes sensation and proliferation of thoughts so objectively examine sensation around the head area.
   • Calming the thoughts
     1. By anchoring your mind on the breath experiencing the whole breath cycle (the impulse to start, the start and the acceleration, the middle and peak of acceleration, the deceleration and the stop of the breath) and then the length also. This calms the verbal and bodily fabrication.
     2. The look and the feeling arising in the whole body to tranquillise the mental fabrications
5. If this also do not work bring you attention to the upper plate (sensation and arising and passing of phenomena on this area) and place you tongue on it. (You can also try the plate and philtrum or more broadly the upper lip if this is generally the resting area when doing breath meditation.) This may cause a lot of vibrations. (If you generally place you attention in this area when doing breath meditation and arising and passing of phenomena is clear, a lot of old formation will start surfacing.) If your teeth start rattling slowly grind you teeth to stop the rattling. This intense Piti can:
   1. Remove any sensations triggering the negative thoughts and emotions.
   2. Break the polifration of thoughts due re enforcement of sensations created by the irritating from previous thoughts by replacing the sensations with Piti
   3. Dissolve the formations and lighten the Karmic effects of the negative emotions.

Answer 3

Try to recollect the power on which you are unable to focus. Try to accept that there may be people in situations (more worse than your's). Try to accept what you already have with you (although it is very less but it is your's, a man with just one working finger in his whole body and a relaxed mind can always handle every situation(s) with the understanding of the acceptance. May this world is appearing bad and saad place to you but remember it is the only place where you can practice life and yes you can even create a new world (all you need is to accept and set yourself on relax mode first). Thank you for sharing the anger and restlessness. It made me accept that I am a bit thankful to myself for being able to retain peace inside me. From a few bit to maximum of it ,is something for which I practice life. Regards.