Why Did I Shake In Therapy?

[Cool Cat]

I was recounting a story and the whole way through I couldn't stop shaking. It wasn't that crazy but it was as though my whole body was vibrating. Several times I tried to stop it but this only resulted in it being worse. The shaking stopped immediately after I stopped telling the story.

My psych said it's 'trapped energy'. Does anyone else experience this? Or know where I could read about it?

 

[Friday]

If by energy he meant anxiety and adrenaline overload / fight or flight... Then, yes.

I don't know about trapped. Mine seems to be leaking out all over the darn place.

 

[Sammyiam]

I start to shake every time I go to see my psychologist as soon as we start to talk about my past and I also disassociate really bad as well. I can't seem to stop shaking either.

Sorry to hear that Cool Cat

 

[Cool Cat]

Does the shaking have a name? is it a good or a bad thing?

 

[fly away home]

My hands shake constantly. It's embarrassing. Just tonight my daughter asked me why my hands were shaking as we were making paper cut outs together. So that's me on a good day.

My entire body shakes when I talk about things I'd rather not talk about or when I'm triggered. So if I'm talking about my traumas in therapy I either shake or I dissociate and when that happens I have no feelings at all associated with what I'm talking about. It's shaking better then? Probably is. I guess in therapy we are aiming to process our traumas so I can see how it could be thought of as trapped energy but personally I see it as a side effect of treatment because if it were trapped energy then technically mine should be spent and I should no longer shake if I'm understanding the term correctly.

 

[Cool Cat]

I find I have no feelings when I'm discussing traumas, my therapist has probably cried more than me when I'm discussing them!

 

[Cool Cat]

I'd like to change this! Suggestions are welcome

 

[Deleted member 20280]

If you visualise the emotional surge as a power surge inside an appliance. If that surge is not protected it can blow the fuse. Our emotions when recounting react similarly. Our fuse blows.

With a psychological surge our bodies act like a conductor connecting our brains with our bodies. When we overload with emotion our bodies react just like a surge protection unit. Shaking as we do' is the bodies way of stopping our 'Fuse' blowing

The chemical reaction in the brain, adrenaline and endorphins rush and we 'Shake Down' physically.

Imagine knocking a full bottle of coke over, grabbing hold and cracking the top straight off. It will blow and go everywhere. Our psychology internally teaches us to release this slowly, this is why the shake-down happens.

Shaking like this does scare us, especially in the early stages of recovery.

Laurie

 

[Cool Cat]

Thanks Laurie! That's good to know.

 

[fly away home]

Wow @Santa_Laurie that is a great explanation.

 

[Sammyiam]

Shaking and disassociation seem to go hand and hand ? I do both, when you disassociate can you try and control it from happening or does it just happen no matter where or when ? Or does it just happen when you talk about your past and trauma ?
Thanks, hope you all don't mind me asking on this thread ?

 

[Deleted member 20280]

This to be honest is a really good talk topic. As with all physical injuries which require physical treatments. Psychological injuries require psychological treatment.

Grounding techniques and coping mechanisms are the treatment.

Imagine suffering from chronic back pain. Medication for pain will be the best treatment, that or a physical splint maybe. Neither of these will treat an intrusive memory surge.

As sufferers we must get our mental hygiene right. We learn groundings and copings that work for us. There is no right or wrong technique. Through research and learning from each other we can teach ourselves the mental treatments that will best suit our situation personally.