Sufferer Mindfulness

[Biz]

@ground crew , I started meditating w a Buddhist group abt a year ago. Mindfulness and meditation have been so incredible for me. But mindfulness is a technique from meditation and while you an meditate and being doing anything, for me, I've found a lot of depth through linking the two. Tibetan Buddhism actually encourages you to meditate w your eyes open too.

 

[ground crew]

I have found a couple of groups to meditate with, many of the hints you guys have suggested were mentioned. I just feel I'm doing it wrong, and I am told that it is normal to feel this way. So I do not go looking for it or make it a priority. Being mindful, or my version of it, is to realize this moment will go very bad if I snap... So when I feel (likely trivial mater) spinning me up, I sharply exhale, break eye contact and "ground" myself, just a moment of reassessing my goals and this obstical, and then re-engage or walk away. Walking away is a valid option.

As a bonus, these actions seem to confuse your opponent and often they get calmer also!!

 

[GWhizz]

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge advocate of mindfulness. But as a grounding technique I think it has it's limits. My therapist was harping on about it and how I should try it for panic or during flashbacks etc. I wanted to slap her! It's quite attainable in the mundane aspects of life, when walking, sipping coffee, chilling in your personal space etc. But during a fricking intense flashback or anxiety attack, or even worse, moments of dissociation - no! I told my T it was easy for her to say. She doesn't have to experience such states.

All in all, it's great to settle and ground you to be present for routine scenarios. Maybe even becoming a way of life. But not for abnormal scenarios. I want to work on minimizing such events. I know mindfulness is a coping method. But it doesn't help me during the unexpected slap in the face or curved ball that life throws.

 

[ground crew]

Another exercise in mindfulness I use is to practice being mindful while doing my workout at the gym. Feeling the effects of the exercise on that muscle, feel the fatigue set in, to be only aware of that one thing. For ten reps. Sounds a lot better than it really is in my head. Distractions are always there and intrusive thoughts. That's my version anyway.

 

[ground crew]

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge advocate of mindfulness. But as a grounding technique I think it has it's...

It is those curve balls and slaps when I find my exercise most useful. When I am spinning up, my brain perceives a threat, it turns on the adrenalin, my body goes into hyper drive and reason flees. I had to learn to ease back at those moment and not be taken over by the adrenaline and keep my reasoning ability in tact. I am no zen master. It is learnable. It helps me. The question that most helped me was "what does it(going off) FEEL like. I found a way to feel it. That is the big ah-ha!! Next time you get triggered, freez and FEEL your body respond. It is most illuminating.

 

[Behati]

You are definitely not alone.. My parents taught me meditation as a young child and I used it as a tool throughout my entire life. My first flashback/night terror "thing" occurred whilst I was meditating to go to sleep one night. For the last 5 years I've been trying to meditate for 5 minutes a day but it is still very hard!

 

[Tinyflame]

Thank you @ground crew . Same with me, easier to find a feeling of an external safe spot.

Must say I've found pinching myself to ground. It's starting to hurt! :rolleyes: I have to do it in the 'fattest' places.

Hey though, I don't know where to find it on the forum, but someone posted a great youtube link on meditation for ptsd'ers. It said to keep your eyes open, & instead of sitting with the thoughts (dangerous), to let them 'ping'. It was a British or Australian guy, really really good.

 

[iwannadeletethis]

You're not alone at all!! I think it's the deep breathing that can be so soothing with meditation:) and you can leave your eyes open for that!! Just focus on something benign. I can't have my back to wide open spaces or doors. I think its pretty common to want to be overly aware.. Though exhausting!!

 

[ground crew]

So, I did try some spontaneous meditations at odd moments. One of these places was the sauna at the gym. The texture of the air really focused me on breathing. That was good, but drips feel on me from the ceiling, and I startled every time it happened breaking my focus. I realized it was a small startle response that I could look at and study. That's where I found the ability to control some of the startle response and break the escalating cycle of fear brings adreninalin and the adrenalin causing the brain to go all animal bringing more adrenalin. So. I get less adrenalin and less excited. It's an over simplification but essentially true.

I was also working on body acceptance being I am built like the eighth dwarf, couch potato. And saunas require a swim suit. That went well to, and I lost weight. Still short but my posture is better ...

 

[intothelight]

@ground crew Welcome!

Mindfulness is a great tool for staying grounded and present. There are a lot of ideas here for ways and methods to increase mindfulness and I hope you find them helpful.

 

[The Albatross]

There is a mindfulness challenge afoot right here, on the forum by PC. If you're interested personal chat Ms. Spock. It is in progress, but I am just starting this evening.

 

[ground crew]

a couple of things I notice since I have spent some time out here, first, I had never considered the civilian form of the condition, all my experiance is with soldiers at the VA, a crusty lot. such horrible stories out here that don't start with "while I was in the service..." Second, while I have had a remarkable number of traumas, they were mostly pretty small things, and often caused by my own dumba** being where I shouldn't be or trying something ill considered, like a hike I took on an unmarked trail resulting a 100 foot plummet, that I walked away from..... I hope I don't have trauma envy or something...