Episode
Why do I feel worse after a round of tapping (Pod #703)
- Published
- Apr 27, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 602
- Processing state
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- http://tappingqanda.com/703
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Summary
If you have ever finished a round of tapping and felt more upset than when you started, you are not doing it wrong. In fact, when you feel worse after tapping, it usually means something productive is happening underneath the surface. This is one of the most common questions I get from listeners, and the answer changes how you interpret every round of tapping you will ever do. Key Takeaways Feeling worse after a round of tapping is common, and in most cases it signals that you are closer to real change, not further from it. Any tapping round has only three possible outcomes: you feel better, nothing changes, or you feel worse. Each outcome tells you exactly what to do next. When intensity rises during tapping, it usually means one of two things: you have tuned in more fully to an emotion you were already carrying, or a deeper related issue has surfaced. A rising SUDS number (Subjective Units of Distress, the 0 to 10 scale used in EFT) is diagnostic information, not a failure signal. Rising intensity is good news about direction, but it also raises the question of whether what just surfaced is safe and appropriate to continue tapping on alone. Why Feeling Worse After Tapping Is Actually Common Feeling worse after tapping is one of the most misunderstood experiences in EFT, and it happens to almost everyone who taps regularly. The discomfort you notice after a round usually is not new discomfort. It is discomfort you were already carrying that has become easier to feel because you stopped distracting yourself from it. This is closely related to sadness showing up after tapping , which follows the same underlying pattern. In 18 years of working with clients, I have watched this moment land the same way again and again. Someone taps for 10 minutes, opens their eyes, and sa…