Chains

[Mentalcasegrl]

With my ptsd I constantly feel like I have chains on my chest. Does anyone else feel that way?.

 

[nomedic1]

Yes and welcome to the forum.

 

[Mentalcasegrl]

Thank you.

 

[Ruckster]

I call it an elephant sitting on my chest... But yes... Could be chains!

 

[Maggiemay]

Yes yes yes :'( xxx

 

[bell]

Yes, although to me, especially when I first started therapy, I often pictured myself as a sea turtle or mermaid snagged in seine or fishing line, completely tangled up, and the more I struggled, the more I became caught.

I'm happy to report that although that image still comes into my head sometimes, it was helpful to have, as through therapy, I became (and felt) less and less entangled.

After awhile I went from that image to yanking out lotus flowers (gorgeous flowers that grow from out of muck) from the bottom of a lake, and for each problem or issue, I had to dive down and dig it out before it could be freed.

I share this, because I think that having such imagery (like chains across your chest), can be helpful and aid you toward recovery.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Mentalcasegrl]

I started to feel this way for the past week right before trying to fall asleep, How wonderful it would be to just fall asleep with out the feeling of someone choking you.

 

[franciemarnie]

For a while I woke up feeling like an intensely heavy weight was pressing down on my chest. It was literally difficult to breathe and push myself up to get off the bed in the morning. Then I would be okay all day until I woke again. (There was no medical condition causing this.)

In describing it to my husband, I said it's like a headstone. For me it turned out to be metaphorical. My body was giving me a message. I was in a sense returning from the dead at the time. I was waking up and feeling what I hadn't had in years. I don't get that feeling anymore.

But it was a disconcerting, painful and uncomfortable experience at the time.

One morning I also felt when just waking up - and I am completely aware of how ridiculous this sounds - my heart metaphorically extended from my chest. It was swollen and covered with wounds and old bandages that were falling off from age. It was the craziest experience. Never had that happen again, but I got the message loud and clear.

When there is no physical condition to account for symptoms, I look for the "unspoken voice" of the body that is going out of its way to tell me something.

 

[therapybankrupt]

HI mentlecasegirl! Please do not take offense to what I am about to ask you to do. I am writing with compassion. First I think your name would be damaging if you are on the road to recovery. The world is tough enough on us that we should not label ourselves with names like this. Please consider changing it.

Yes I also have had weight on my chest and It looked and felt like and anvil. I used the process of releasing the trapped energy from my trauma by imaging I had roots out my feet and letting the anvil de solve into sand and go back into the earth. I did this sitting in a chair in EMDR.

I also meditate and release trapped painful issue due to triggering by imagining it going out of my body to where ever it is that these type of energy go. I do not question what works for me. I am very open to Chakra work also to clear my body of negative energy.

 

[just keep swimming]

Yes I agree with bell, to me the chains are symbolic to you lovelycasegl, I have followed the Jungian way of thinking and have images that became progressive once I had worked in therapy long enough with them.
'David Fontana' 'the Secret language of symbols' Interesting book bell ;)