Can you get yourself out of hypervigilance or freeze response?

[SeekingAfrica]

Not eventually/with as long as needed but more intentionally? I'm stuck and I'm just digging myself deeper. I was on an upswing for a bit I think and now it's bad for a while. I need to help myself. The longer this goes on the more I abandon even self care activities that help mildly-journaling, meditation, exercise. Everything beyong basic basics is just a lot of energy I can't find..

 

[sidptitala]

Which one of those are you stuck in? Or is it both at different times?

For me, I'm learning that there's always something 'causing' both of these reaction, I just don't always know what it is. But identifying what these are responses to is the first step of challenging them.

Everything beyong basic basics is just a lot of energy I can't find..

If there's any self criticism or self blame for this ^ dancing around in your head- I would do everything you can to get rid of that first. Considering the circumstances, anything you do is a massive achievement even if it's not covering the basics. The more grace you can give yourself, the more you allow yourself to do nothing (knowing that it will not be forever) is the faster and more solidly you can recover.

Is there anything you can do right now that will bring you pure joy? Or something you used to love doing if you can't feel that right now. Just focus on that one thing - it will give you the energy you need for the survival stuff.

 

[Defaultxlove]

I try to tell myself it will pay off

Like my shower yesterday morning I was nearly throwing up before it but the hot water and being clean after really helped me go to my next task

 

[Lost in the Woods]

Yes and no. When I freeze I am not capable of anything. However I have noticed if I am startled I come out of it often. The phone ringing can be enough. If I am capable of it I have a check list, hydration, food, am I over heated. There are yoga positions that help me but again, I am often in a state where that is beyond me. Fortunately I am coming up on 5 moths without this sort of freeze.

 

[arfie]

may i pause for a moment of envy that you are experiencing lack of energy with your hyper-vigilance? my own hyper-vigilance creates unmanageable levels of energy, whether i have the health for it, or not.

awareness is my most consistent ticket out of hyper-vigilance. with simple, minimal energy awareness i can factor it into my day without giving it control over my day.

 

[SeekingAfrica]

@arfie
Envy away, I'm doing the same right back lol . Personally my life needs a lot of practical changes that need my attention- so really, excess energy would be super welcomes right about now. Today this feeling reached peak, and now I gave up eating mildly healthy cooked food and being productive.

I'm having toast in bed for dinner, and watching movie or funny videos until I fall asleep. Sitting is too much effort, it's like the hyper and freeze mode and the guilt just crushed me. And I am teaching in the morning and I knew if I didn't let go tonight I'd be useless tomorrow.

Will answer one comment at a time.

P.s. awareness feels...scary right now. Like the life circumstances right now are triggering unhealed trauma so my mind is all frozen in fear. And so I find myself alm9st detached from everything even if I'm aware how urgent it all is. As someone emotional in nature being detached is kind of disturbing tbh

Genuinely I need every battery on every part of life recharged but currently I have less energy than I've had with the flu. It makes it really hard to have hope for change.

 

[arfie]

Personally my life needs a lot of practical changes that need my attention- so really, excess energy would be super welcomes right about now.

careful what you wish for, cowboy. hypervigilant energy tends to be highly destructive and harder to control. when my hypervigilant energy takes over, it makes far more messes than it cleans up. far and away messier than toast in bed.

awareness feels...scary right now. Like the life circumstances right now are triggering unhealed trauma so my mind is all frozen in fear. And so I find myself alm9st detached from everything even if I'm aware how urgent it all is. As someone emotional in nature being detached is kind of disturbing tbh

empathy, but sometimes ya gotta pick your poison. detached awareness or non-stop panic attacks? i shoot for a deliberately detached awareness. yeah, i need to deal, but raising 3 young orphans at 70 is a bigger shock than i'm going to process in a single day. 5 years into the gig and i still stagger on a routine basis. a compassionate awareness helps me be gentle with all parties involved and patient with the process.

 

[Friday]

Yep!!!

The more I’m dealing with either, the faster I learn to break out, and the less time they take from me & my life, like pretty much anything else. >.< So it’s a double edged sword.

Like if I haven’t had a panic attack in YEARS? That can f*ck my next WEEK. As the attack itself can last hours/the better part of a day, the hangover/recovery last 3 days, and the skittishness about it happening again take a few more days to wear of. >>> BUT??? <<< If I’m having 20/50 panic attacks a day? Pfft. Half an inhaled breath / stuttered heartbeat to grab the collar of it and yank it back, 2 deep breaths to be completely fine and about my business. Almost imperceptible to anyone around me, and barely taking a few seconds from my day. LITERALLY counted in breaths & heartbeats, not minutes/hours/days/weeks/months.

CTD. On how I personally break out of hypervig or freeze or fight/flight/freeze/flop/etc. in a bit. I’m at mt capacity with words at the moment. But still felt it important to at least wave ,y hand, and say YEP! Totally possible thing to do.