Here's something I'd like to discuss: I've recently been interested in therapeutic approaches to anxiety and depression that suggest both can be habits we turn to for protection (and as a learned behavior)--largely in times of emotional overwhelm. And that if we give permission for the emotions to surface in a compassionate way, the brain can re-wire to experience them in a circumstances that don't overwhelm. The argument is that anxiety and depression are, in some sense, each a trance we take up subconsciously to distract or dissociate or defend ourselves from frightening sensate experiences. But trances that are actually far more painful than feeling the emotion of fear. This can happen when our bodies are triggered by a stimuli that bolts us into emotional memory (not necessarily a visual or ruminative story line) AND that automatically catapults us into flight, fight, freeze, fawn. It's been suggested the four F's are the habits of escape from subliminal and overt fears from our inner critics and others (not being lovable, not being good enough, at fault, shame, danger, annihilation, invasion and more): learned responses to traumatic and troubling situations. It's argued that until we see the 'story-telling' we create, the lockdown and the rumination, we will never be free. Until we stop resisting the trapped emotions seeking to be seen and let them surface through grief or whatever, we'll continue on a hamster wheel of the protective (albeit painful) habits of depression and anxiety. That both give us a false sense of control which our subconscious thinks will protect us (as we will never really have control, that's also a trance).
Meditation is suggested as a tool for building a sense of safety and self protection that doesn't block emotions. Meditation gives the opportunity to learn NOT to abandon ourselves when in trauma. Over time I've found it transformative with anxiety and depression. I notice my resistance or judging or the many ways I try to manipulate with thoughts and stoires (he said, she said) to avoid upsetting feelings. I initially found myself resistant to meditation precisely because my agitation re: sitting was also a learned and distracting habit of my anxiety. For others it might be addictions. It was like I was sabotaging and abandoning myself purely out of social or familial habits that no longer suited me (don't cry, act tough etc.). It was like I'd been hitting my head against a wall for years to cure a headache and suddenly didn't have to anymore. The relief was immense. Now I can even thank my anxiety when it appears, thank it for trying to protect me all though childhood and beyond. I'd be interested in other views on this theory re: anxiety and depression being habits and whether others have found meditation so powerful...
Meditation is suggested as a tool for building a sense of safety and self protection that doesn't block emotions. Meditation gives the opportunity to learn NOT to abandon ourselves when in trauma. Over time I've found it transformative with anxiety and depression. I notice my resistance or judging or the many ways I try to manipulate with thoughts and stoires (he said, she said) to avoid upsetting feelings. I initially found myself resistant to meditation precisely because my agitation re: sitting was also a learned and distracting habit of my anxiety. For others it might be addictions. It was like I was sabotaging and abandoning myself purely out of social or familial habits that no longer suited me (don't cry, act tough etc.). It was like I'd been hitting my head against a wall for years to cure a headache and suddenly didn't have to anymore. The relief was immense. Now I can even thank my anxiety when it appears, thank it for trying to protect me all though childhood and beyond. I'd be interested in other views on this theory re: anxiety and depression being habits and whether others have found meditation so powerful...
