Origin of a very common phrase

Acting Out.

We probably all have heard this, and hate it.
But, here is where the phrase comes from.
Freud said it first, and what he meant it to mean was:

"...showing in actions something that couldn't be said in words."

And, isn't that what we're doing when we're "acting out"?  We're trying to say something that we don't have words for.

Recently, when one of us wants to "act out", we ask them what they're feeling and why they're wanting to do what they want to do.  We have figured out for ourselves that our "dysfunctional" behavior is meant to express feelings that are squashed inside.