Taking Risks

[1wanderer]

I don’t know the full details but this sounds about right.

Yes, but we are alive and the good news is that while neurons typically do not regenerate healthy ones can so-called rewire, which is how people can mentally and emotionally mature, develop new habits, and get over fears, among other things. Neuroplasticity is real.

Nope. Which is one reason why when you feel stuck in the grinder, looping your thoughts and emotions, one strategy is to do nothing, including not think! Only to notice but without attaching any judgment to the sensations. Then eventually you will be able to notice the flow of sensations, but the key is stopping judgment. The judgment is what leads to an extraordinary amount of suffering. This is what some people call a mindfulness practice and is why so many therapists use various techniques related to it. It shifts the part of the brain being used, and therefore shifts the experience.

Something helpful is learning about the common cognitive distortions that people with PTSD tend to succumb to. A good source for learning about these is in Pete Walker’s book “Complex-PTSD.”

Yes there is physical damage, but just like every other disorder an individual can learn coping skills to manage symptoms and develop stability.

Thanks. I have read Pete Walker. A great resource

 

[Friday]

How much danger do you embrace?

How much do you risk?

What level of risk are you willing to face?

What does it take to prepare for risk?

When you do risk, how does it work out?

Is it easier to risk the next time?

How often do you feel safe? Secure? Worthy?

What is the riskiest thing you do

I’m part of the smaller part of the PTSD community, that runs TOWARD danger, uses high risk activities as a coping mechanism, never assumes one is safe/secure, & is evened out by adrenaline, to the point of being an adrenaline junkie.

All of which are very different things than fear… which is what it seems like you’re working toward.

Fear, risk, & danger? Are simply not synonymous to people like me.

It’s not brave to eat birthday cake, if you love birthday cake.

The kid TERRIFIED of going down the slide? Is the bravest person on the playground, for going down it. Not the kids who love the slide, and have no fear of it, whatsoever.

The riskiest thing I do? … Is anything that involves someone else. I have little to no fear of how something will effect me. I am, however, often terrified of how anything will effect someone I love, and deeply concerned over how what I do will effect strangers/acquaintances
.

PTSD gains access to our adrenal stress response. Actually trauma is stored on the right side of the brain in our Amygdala as implicit memory.

That’s not accurate.

Only 20 or so years ago, for several decades, neuroscientists thought memory was stored in discrete areas of the brain, with the hippocampus serving as something of a librarian; but it’s since been proven that memory is stored in EVERY area of the brain, as well as in the PNS peripheral nervous system // IE Muscle Memory, is very much a real thing. As the nerves threading throughout our entire bodies hold memory, as well as decision making, just as our CNS/central nervous system, does.

Thankfully, that’s sloooowly matriculating through “common knowledge”… but there is still a very large segment of the population, including scientific community that is not actively studying the brain, that believes memory is still discrete.

Neuroscientists? Have NO idea “where” trauma is “stored”… especially with people with PTSD, as much trauma is not stored as “memory” at all, but as active & ongoing event.

A great many people are attempting to ascertain how global memory (both CNS & PNS) works, but as yet? Have not done so. Again, Yet. A smaller group is dedicated to attempting to understand how things such as traumatic events, are not stored as memory, whatsoever… but active and ongoing events, laid over the present.

Again, my apologies you’ve gotten ahold of old & outdated science.

 

[Freddyt]

Hence the book The Body Keeps Score. My T was telling me - the last place trauma leaves is the body.

I never peak ahead in therapy so I don't develop expectations so I guess I will find out what its about when it happens...