We often try to distort reality especially when the truth is overwhelmingly painful and hard to process. We try to run away from that reality, mostly from distorting the truth from what it really is so as to make it more pleasurable for ourselves. But for us to really grow, heal from our pains and be better, we must first learn to accept reality, without any form of judgment or distortion.
When I was 15 I lost my Dad and it was a tragic incidence. As a teen, I had to witness him being shot dead right in front of me. The pain was so overwhelming that I had to devise means of distorting the truth to make it more attractive and believable to me which never really helped. I was in a state of denial for a really long while.
The more I ran away from that truth, the more that truth comes hunting me after a while. It was when I opened my heart to accept that reality that I gave myself the opportunity to heal and grow out of those pains. And I was able to forgive as well.
Accepting reality for what it is, without judging it gives one clarity. When we judge it as bad or negative, we inflict more pains on ourselves, and our goal is to grow out of those pains and not to dwell on them or increase them. And when we try to judge it as "good", we tend to distort the truth, losing touch of the reality.
The idea of accepting reality is so as to be able to face it and make it better. When we are disconnected from our reality, there is no way we will see things clearly, our view will be clouded with our own "creation of reality", which doesn't help much.
You don't need to detach yourself from all the emotions, let them flow and allow yourself process all of them. Letting yourself feel the emotions doesn't make you vulnerable, it can even give you strength to face what may come next.
When faced with challenges or pains, the one thing we tend to do is probably to run from it, but it sure isn't the best way out. Learning to accept your reality will surely ease the pains and give us a clearer view of things, and then we will be able to get better and grow out of those pains.
The reality might be extremely painful and accepting it will definitely be hard, but see the bigger picture, your opportunity to be able to heal, to improve and be better. So, let yourself see life as it is and live every bit of it: the pains, the joy, challenges etc., you can grow and be much better once you learn to do that.