Mighty, To answer your question, they shut the door on their pain many, many years ago and when something shuts the lights off in their minds, hearts and souls, that's when the hurtful emotions begin to play out. They tend to compartmentalize their lives and when the pain gets too great, they shift over to another compartment in order to avoid the pain.
What you experienced is very much like what the crisis person feels...except their emotions go far, far deeper because of the length of time and the stunting of their emotional growth as children/young adults.
Sit quietly, the answers will reveal themselves when you least expect them to. The past is gone, the present is a gift and you need to focus on today, allow the future to reveal itself when it is ready.
