shrinking the amygdala

[shimmerz]

How do you do that? with hypnosis?

No, I just visualize (meaning construct in my mind and try to really feel it) an alternate ending. And then I build that scenario in my mind. It could be that in that ending I am allowing another adult to come into the story, perhaps my T, or it could be that I bring an adult version of me into it. But regardless, once I start looking for a new outcome, by nature of the brain itself, I am permanently altering the story of the trauma that has been stuck in my head. I am no longer frozen in it.

 

[MyWillow]

No, I just visualize (meaning construct in my mind and try to really feel it) an alternate ending. And then I build that scenario in my mind. It could be that in that ending I am allowing another adult to come into the story, perhaps my T, or it could be that I bring an adult version of me into it. But regardless, once I start looking for a new outcome, by nature of the brain itself, I am permanently altering the story of the trauma that has been stuck in my head. I am no longer frozen in it.

This is what my equine T talked about doing - in a future session - yesterday. It triggered a damn flashback lol. Perhaps I’m not quite ready ;)

 

[shimmerz]

It triggered a damn flashback lol

To me, that means I have to find a point prior - to go back further - and look for a feeling of where and how that power was taken from me. And claim it back. If that triggers a flashback again, then I know to go back farther still.

 

[MyWillow]

To me, that means I have to find a point prior - to go back further - and look for a feeling of where and how that power was taken from me. And claim it back. If that triggers a flashback again, then I know to go back farther still.

Thanks @shimmerz and apologies to the OP for the OT. Unfortunately I have no memory attached to any of my flashbacks- bar one - so I’m struggling with even accepting them as a thing. I don’t know where to go “back” to if that makes sense?

 

[IamFree]

The primitive brain can't discern. It has no capacity for 'time' as we know it.

Which has made utilizing it as a visualization tool with flashbacks to be the cat's ass. Change the ending of the story to one of empowerment and the brain thinks it actually has happened. It takes away the emotional charge of the event being a loss.

Every grey cloud has a silver lining?

yes I have been conducting an experiment on my self this week and will be for some time now...I dumped all my darky DVDS in the charity shop and have scoured the shelfs for dvds with a universal or PG certificate only....watched the land before time...wild lifes is good as well anything to do with nature..defnatly felt much more friendly ...been feeling like in work this week I am a little more attractive to people ..not thinking so much like I am attaching some gloomy outcome to everything I think about. feeling a very nice sort of innocence about the world..its true lets face it the amygdala is quite literally just a stupid animal..we can make the beast work for us.

 

[grit]

Early in my therapy, I could not watch emotionally charged movies. There are two movies one Australian and one English one I recall that literally turn my stomach. I was like what??? I love this kind of movies. Well I did when I was living in dissociation deeply. Also I could not drink for while. Every thing became so sensitive and my fear of psychosis were higher.

and weirdly, I had to remind myself verbally and loudly that I am safe! it is just a movie Grit. LIke I was talking to a child!

However, since then, I am OK and back to watching them and drinking a glass of wine.

What happened, I do not know yet but it could be I feel safe internally.

The enlarged amygdala has been around for a long time but I also read somewhere how the neurons renew themselves. It is also been said that all of developmental issues wait a time they can be revisited and re-processed. the human psyche is truly special entity.

IMHO, and my personal experience in therapy, hyper-vigilance was one of the areas I dealt with cognitively sooner.

 

[Sweetleaf]

I have became aware recently that I am developing an aversion to any books/ tv / movies of a dark and heavy matter. been replacing it with light fluffy cute things. Do feel a lot calmer....it got me thinking do you recon that the primitive brain does not recognise that the horror movie with all the people being murdered in very creative ways is not really happening and is responding accordingly..setting you off letting out the stress chemicals e.t.c

I have found the same thing has happened to me.

I can't watch horror movies, suspenseful action stuff, things involving traumas basically.

I tried watching season 5 of orange is the new black. It gave me flashbacks because of how much it reminded me of my own trauma (forced to do things at gunpoint)

As a result of all the gun trauma it's become harder to watch things involving guns, though some reprocessing and some exposure has helped me get better at dealing with seeing them, and I've gotten to a point where I don't get sick looking at my own pistol.

Now I struggle to watch the news.

Same here - especially since the news always seems to be talking about sexual assault and such things, these days.

What really gets to me is seeing people not being believed. Seeing people defend rapists, attack victims, harass them. It makes me more afraid of opening up.

what do you mean "change the ending of the story to one of empowerment and the bran thinks it actually happened" ? How do you do that? with hypnosis?

For me, that can be accomplished with successful EMDR.

A reprocessed memory can become an empowering one. I'll give an example.

I was cornered in a liquor store, by a very thuggish man, strong, violent, angry, threatening to beat the shit out of me and kill me, coming closer. I was intensely afraid. Both of what he might do, and what I might have had to do.

I was carrying a concealed firearm at the time. He got closer and closer, slammed his hand down, and I put my hand under my shirt, used the other hand to pull my shirt down and obscure what I was doing, and I fully gripped the grip of my pistol, shooting grip, while still holstered.

Here is what reprocessing did for me:

It made me realize that when I did that, and he backed off, flung his arms out and was like "WHAT YOU GONNA DO?!?!?! WHAT YOU GONNA DO HUH?!?!" - he had some fear in his voice. My pdoc helped me realize that. He was probably hit hard by adrenaline and fear the moment I obviously went for a hidden gun. He backed off and put his hands up. At that point, he was reduced to all bark and no bite, and me grabbing my gun was what got him the f*ck away from me, and out of that building.

I pulled my hands out, put them up, and just repeated "I don't want any trouble" despite him trying to provoke me.

I thought I had handled it poorly - I thought I was defenseless - my gun felt like a toy, like it was worthless, in that time. I felt like I'd be to paralyzed by fear to pull it out and shoot him if I needed to (if he had crossed the barrier that told me he 100% was going to attack me) - but reprocessing the memory made me realize, that I actually defended myself successfully

That realization, that reprocessing of the memory, was empowering. It made me feel a little less weak - it made me stop feeling like I let those people walk all over me, and more like I asserted and maintained control over the situation. Me sitting there and taking their insults and threats and provocations, and showing -restraint- and extreme self-control in the moment, was empowering, made me feel better about myself.

It made me laugh - and still makes me kinda smirk, to think of how he was afraid when I had my hand on my gun.

So, simply reprocessing something can be empowering.

 

[Rani G2]

been replacing it with light fluf

@IamFree...this is somwthing I should Do.
Have been sticking my head into way too much horror movies/ psychothrillers/ criminally listed (Youtube video channel)Missing cases, psychopaths etc etc. The harder the better.. My T advised me to reduce the amount and I am doing so. I Do this because I feel if I stop looking at horror I am not ready to fight back. I must be so toughend up that I can fight back...
Its just a different coping mechanism of a part that thinks that the trauma isnt over so we must be always reminded in order to overcome.

 

[JohnWilliams.]

its the emotions that make trauma.