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how to break out of avoidance

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mylunareclipse

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I am starting to wonder if a lot of my problems are caused because of avoidance?
I didn't realize that that's what I have been doing.
I can never admit to a therapist the full range of my symptoms. What I go through day after day. How bad my dissociation and body memories get. The most I have shared I think is by writing in this forum. The thing is once I come out of these episodes, I tell myself I am fine, I made it up, there's no need to talk about it, I am being dramatic.... etc. And yet something seems to be missing. I spend most of my days fighting off this illness, yet I am unable to talk about it to anyone. The most I have said is I have body memories, I have flashbacks, but never ever what actually happens. Where is hurts, what I hear in my head, all the sexual things I relive over and over, how I suck my thumb and cry when it's all over. And yet, I get frustrated after, I tell myself, you see the therapist agrees nothing is wrong with you, he hasn't even really even tried to even talk about your dissociative episodes, it's because he doesn't think they are true....etc etc. Yet, I am too scared to talk about all of these, I am scared to even go see a trauma therapist. I want the validation of how much things hurt and suck and yet at the same time I fear things coming too true, if I talk to someone about it. I feel like I would probably just laugh it off if someone even as much as mentioned the word trauma... like I am being manipulative. Like I can control these things by not talking about them. That by talking about them I am making them real, and the simpliest way for them to not exist and to not have trauma is to not talk about it. Control it, ignore it, avoid it. But there's also this huge fear, fear that a therapist might say, that's nothing, you're imagining it, that doesn't seem like trauma, you're acting, it's not that bad.... I doubt they would say that, but I am so scared that even if there's a 0.0001% chance, it's not worth taking. If someone told me it was all in my head, I think I might collapse, I guess it's kind of important for some part of me to hold on to the truth, even if it stay secret.
None of this makes sense, except that maybe it's a symptom, avoidance... noone really knows....
How to break out of denial and avoidance and admit to yourself and to someone else that what you are dealing with is trauma and everything you have to go through and keep secret is literally f****d up? Makes me want to cry for myself how much I suffer in silence and yet cannot break out of it..
 
How to break out of denial and avoidance and admit to yourself and to someone else that what you are dealing with is trauma and everything you have to go through and keep secret is literally f****d up? Makes me want to cry for myself how much I suffer in silence and yet cannot break out of it..
Therapy therapy therapy. Or at least that's the only thing that is even remotely working for me. And yep. It sucks. :(
 
sympathies. avoidance is so easy. don't look at faces. don't read certain kinds of books. don't go down that block. street. part of town. don't leave the house. the habit feeds itself and steals from us and the absence of fear feels good. but it's a lie. it's exhausting and gives us nothing in return.

my t didn't laugh at me. i was bawling and bleeding and scared but he didn't laugh and he wasn't dismissive or cruel. he listened. it was worth the Risk.

you matter and your feelings matter and you're worth the risk.
 
I am starting to wonder if a lot of my problems are caused because of avoidance?
I didn't realize that that's what I have been doing.
I can never admit to a therapist the full range of my symptoms. What I go through day after day. How bad my dissociation and body memories get. The most I have shared I think is by writing in this forum. The thing is once I come out of these episodes, I tell myself I am fine, I made it up, there's no need to talk about it, I am being dramatic.... etc. And yet something seems to be missing. I spend most of my days fighting off this illness, yet I am unable to talk about it to anyone. The most I have said is I have body memories, I have flashbacks, but never ever what actually happens. Where is hurts, what I hear in my head, all the sexual things I relive over and over, how I suck my thumb and cry when it's all over. And yet, I get frustrated after, I tell myself, you see the therapist agrees nothing is wrong with you, he hasn't even really even tried to even talk about your dissociative episodes, it's because he doesn't think they are true....etc etc. Yet, I am too scared to talk about all of these, I am scared to even go see a trauma therapist. I want the validation of how much things hurt and suck and yet at the same time I fear things coming too true, if I talk to someone about it. I feel like I would probably just laugh it off if someone even as much as mentioned the word trauma... like I am being manipulative. Like I can control these things by not talking about them. That by talking about them I am making them real, and the simpliest way for them to not exist and to not have trauma is to not talk about it. Control it, ignore it, avoid it. But there's also this huge fear, fear that a therapist might say, that's nothing, you're imagining it, that doesn't seem like trauma, you're acting, it's not that bad.... I doubt they would say that, but I am so scared that even if there's a 0.0001% chance, it's not worth taking. If someone told me it was all in my head, I think I might collapse, I guess it's kind of important for some part of me to hold on to the truth, even if it stay secret.
None of this makes sense, except that maybe it's a symptom, avoidance... noone really knows....
How to break out of denial and avoidance and admit to yourself and to someone else that what you are dealing with is trauma and everything you have to go through and keep secret is literally f****d up? Makes me want to cry for myself how much I suffer in silence and yet cannot break out of it..
Thank you for being honest and sharing. I am sorry that you struggle the way you do. I too feel the same but also maybe differently because our experiences are different. I think it's important to have faith in your therapist and to put your trust in him/her. Some things seem very difficult to talk about but when you 'let it out' and say it in a safe and supportive environment it easses the burden.
I hope you are able to make progress and you are ok. All the best to you.
 
Thank you for all your kind words and support. I think for me so far only writing things down in this forum allows me to make progress and break out of the cycle of denial and avoidance. For instance today I feel like why the heck would I write this post? What’s wrong with me? What dissociation? I didn’t dissociate today so then it must not exist. And every week rinse repeat. I think the adult in me who is capable of reasoning and talking in therapy doesn’t have access to the pain and the memories. And the part of me they struggles with the dissociation doesn’t have words or trust in therapy. So then I am stuck in limbo. Somehow the part of me suffering needs to find the courage to talk but she s just too scared :(
 
Hi, I am new here. I have this avoidance where I will avoid looking at my phone in fear that I might read a message, which I will perceive as negative and as a result I will have no control over my body and as a result my body will get damaged. This completely coincides with the trauma that I experienced in the past because in that situation I was powerless and I believe the fear of losing control, must coincide with the fear of being placed in that traumatic situation yet again. I also fear that others will try to control my thoughts in order to harm myself and I fend them off each and every time. One thing I noticed is that forcing yourself to read the messages has definitely helped me. I also have procrastinated a lot lately as if I am avoiding everything in my path. I have been doing better lately, but I wanted to hear if others have been going through similar struggles?

I am so happy I found this forum. Thank You all for your help :)

I also wanted to mention that when I take my magnesium oxide 500mg supplement, my symptoms greatly improve. I am trying to figure out why this is.
 
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