Beyond Hyperventilating

[sasuva]

The information about whether stress induces hyperventilating or vice versa is an eye opener for me, thank you!

Could someone draw me a diagram of the route from past trauma to presenting symptomatology(p.s) to pts to hyperventilating?
IF past trauma is the trigger, than cannot the p.s. be relieved through processing the trauma?
IF so, how does a sufferer "ride the wave" of emotional response to be able to see what that trauma is?

I have experienced therapy that reaches back into previous trauma and reorients my perspective, my thoughts, my traits and behaviors.
What is so difficult this time is that as I use the same process to remember this trauma, it goes no where but deeper into the attack and hyperventilating.

What am I missing?

Thanks,
Sam

 

[deer_in_headlights]

Hi Sam!

IMHO, it sounds as if you're getting overwhelmed and flooded.
Are you doing this on your own? It would be best to be with a Trauma Therapist.

It's tough to really look at the trauma when you're that flooded.
What my Ts do (I work with 2 trauma specialists) is watch and listen carefully, and if I begin to flood, overwhelm, they take it down just a notch... They don't let me hyperventilate. They have me breathe deeply, slowly to restore calm, they help me orient to the present, and notice what my body is feeling - putting the awareness there. It shifts, changes... and then we dip back into the trauma again.

If you're doing this by yourself, and only throwing yourself into a panic, you're re-traumatizing yourself. I couldn't do deep work by myself, yet... even with all the training I've had. I still need the guidance and orientation because I can get myself into trouble really fast by getting flooded.

There are very good grounding techniques that can help you, enormously with this... to help you pull very rapidly out of hyperventilating (and it improves with practice).
It's really helpful to have someone with you to teach you.

I apologize for my very incomplete answer... (am too fatigued to go further in 1 post, but others here can be of assistance :) ).
Warmly,
Deer

 

[anthony]

Do a search for grounding exercises... When you remember and process trauma, you must monitor what is called your SUDS level... Which is about lowering your anxiety during recollection to ensure you don't get to where your getting... Being near passing out. You must recall... Anxiety goes up... You perform specific tasks or exercises to lower anxiety... You continue recollection and repeat the process.

 

[sasuva]

Hello Deer, anthony, and thank you for these responses. Subjective Units of Distress level, 0-10. I do understand re-enforcing the abuse and I do not wish to support THAT! :-)
Grounding techniques, 2X4 breathing, EFT, and sleep, really seem to be doing the job. While I am not sure what was happening when I posted, I have been using GT's to realign myself.

As far as the abuse, I have not totally recalled all the abuse and the activity surrounding it. I know about the abuse, I have "sat with" the memories and the emotions, until I could parent the abused child, recover rejection, abandonment and destruction issues, as well as expressing acting out instead of acting acting out.

I have been really struggling with present stress as well as anxiety about my oldest getting ready to graduate and leave. We live in a RV and we are considering a trip back north 900 miles to give him the start he wants. Man, just trying to type this is a struggle, so I need to sit with it.

Your good advice will be implemented prior to this new exercise. present stress recovery. :)

Thank you
Sam