Thousand Yard Stare

[Intrepid]

I'm not a combat vet but I do know the thousand yard stare. I got it from childhood abuse (domestic combat). I remember staring through a girlfriend in high school, and her being totally weirded out. I'm like that most of the time. It's really bad when I'm triggered and in a flashback.

So anyway, it's stressing out my eyes. I've had this thousand yard stare for a long time and it's finally wearing me down. Any ideas what to do about this stupid thousand yard stare?

 

[Gs172003]

Omg I've only heard my son say that! Sorry but it made me smile.

I'm not sure other than eye drops to moisten your eyes. Hopefully somebody else will have a better answer

 

[EveHarrington]

Funny I don't even know what it looks like but I know that I do it. It weirds people out. Mostly in public when I want to avoid contact with others.

 

[Gs172003]

I know what it looks like cause my son does it. I do too but it just "is" to me.

 

[Friday]

Grounding. Getting out of your head. Actually looking at what you're seeing. Sleep.

 

[Ronin]

Actually looking at what you're seeing.

This & if having people who know the exacts of that stare? Drag you back. Shortest thing that'll hook you and mean you won't let go of the treasure that is now and not actually being There&Then.

 

[shimmerz]

Super sour and super hot candies. I had to practice and practice and practice this one. To me it meant that I was going out of body and the shock of the candies pulled me back in.

 

[BlueOrange]

Massaging the muscles in your face might help.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

I ground, snap a rubber band on my wrist to 'snap' me back to reality, describe in your head what you are looking at to be more present, hear whats around you, discribe the noises to yourself, i try to hear as it changes the sense of sight to hearing and helps me to stop. Ive also asked myself, to myself, to see something else around or find a certian color, then another etc. It helps me to move my eyes.

Sorry if this isnt what you mean. Ive never had it named so not sure if you are advising what i do.

 

[One step at a time]

Thanks for this phrase - it helps to be able to name this.

Sleep helps me. Closing my eyes and listening to my surroundings helps me. Narrating my surroundings helps me.

And sometimes, I look in a mirror for a long, long time until I can "see myself." At first, I'm not seeing anything, then I see a person, then I see that the person has the thousand yard stare, then I feel compassion for them, and then I recognize that it is me, and I am in this bathroom, in this place and time. I end up feeling more safe and more able to be grounded.