What small thing/s did you do today to chip away at your avoidance?

[Deleted member 8714]

I bought watercolor boards for a project. I've been wanting to get back into using watercolor pencils.

 

[ms spock]

I told my partner that I don't see us being together in 2-3 years.

 

[ms spock]

I did not overeat for breakfast.

 

[ms spock]

I was honest.

I was taken out for lunch, & I actually declined a dessert. I just ate a reasonable amount! I was present in my body. I am making progress.

I talked to my friend, who said to me if I ever needed to talk that she would be there for me. I told her that I had been a bit down, and frustrated about the house. She said I was unusally negative in my tone of voice 6-8 weeks ago.

I choose to not numb out on food, so I was there. I turned up.

Just being with another person is so tough. But I did it.

I am not avoiding my food issues, there is enough food for me to eat.

I got up and went to walking straight away this morning.

I made goals and I achieved them.

I looked for a safe home to live in.

 

[KwanYingirl]

Well, well, I went underground for awhile to avoid some distress with the site. I’ve been struggling with my avoidance issues and came here today to find companions on this challenge. @Disco Dancing Queen (hello friend! Was hoping to connect with you and here you are!) I have had positive progress on my various PTSD issues through the challenges I’ve taken seriously.
So here I am. The phobia I am trying to overcome is the inability to walk my dog through a forested area of my condo. I was taken into the woods and raped burned humiliated many many years ago. I need to walk for my bone mass and my dogs weight. I get to the edge of the forest and just turn around and go back home.
I admitted this to my therapist two weeks ago and he has experience helping people as he is a trauma expert. So what I have done so far is admit the phobia, agree to discuss the attack that triggered it in order to extinguish its hold on me. Today I did dissociate and shake but was able to reorient myself with his help. My homework is to walk to the edge and turn left. That’s it for this week. Just walk to the edge and turn left and back home. I am to remain mindful noticing my breathing, feel the crisp air on my face, look around and just notice wher I am. In other words, stay grounded as he says practicing staying grounded and in the moment, I will gain the ability to take two steps through the forest. Practice patience. Self compassion. All the tools I have learned to use that just fly out the damn window when I’m triggered.
So that is where I’m at today. Reaching out to the kind people here that make strategies that work.

 

[KwanYingirl]

@Wilmot I play guitar too. When I want to avoid thoughts I play random chords in open tunings and it gives me something to do to stay grounded. Always looking for harmonics that soothe me. But it is something I do to avoid the things that I should be focused on.

 

[Muted]

I opened my mouth and blabbed stuff that I was avoiding talking about to my t.

 

[ms spock]

***waves @KwanYingirl ***
I got up and went for a walk from 5.15am until 6.30am.
I rang somewhere I have been avoiding ringing. I am following it up.
I felt some feelings. Yes apparently feeling feelings is a thing. My psychiatrist has these new fangled ideas! Crazy talk!
I did a semi supine - Alexander Technique.

 

[Finchlet2]

I threw away some of my bigger hide my body cloths. I'm now only wearing one size to big for me on the bottom half and two sizes to big on the top half. The top half is a bigger issue cos as a size four d cup unless I create a tent with my top by not letting it come in underneath the I'm scared people will look

 

[ms spock]

I went to a wedding yesterday.
I did less comfort eating at a wedding yesterday.
I didn't do so well last night, but I am getting closer to making better decisions, and at times I am making better decisions about eating and other things.

 

[Teasel]

Found an organisation that offers groups for women who've experienced abuse. I need to stop being so isolated. And I really want to experience being with others who understand.

Am pushing myself to see people I know more too though finding it almost frighteningly stressful and anxiety provoking. I know the more I do it the more the anxiety should calm down but yeah. I'd like to try a group. I'd really bloody like to be around people who just get it.

Lately any time I'm around people (that I know) I'm just overwhelmed by feeling utterly wrong / bad / shameful and terrified of it. I can feel myself just cringing at every awkward silence / inability to understand simple sentences / or burst of verbal diarrhea. It's humilating!

I saw a photo of me recently at a hen do, in it I'm the physical expression of fawning - trying to shrink down and hide myself. Poor berlinda, we're going to sort this out.

 

[Ronin]

Went to a mall I have been avoiding for mostly two years.

I guess I am back to different planning, because there were still ghost dragons waiting, different people, conversations, scents, years. FFS. Not that big of a big deal. :facepalm:
Starting to be glad about those places I can just avoid For Good. Done, neverthere, f*ckoff.