Running

@AuntGlow

I have so many triggers on a day to day basis, there is rarely a day that goes by that I don't get triggered.

Even by conversations on here and the last 24 hours.

Being surprised by something that is a trigger for me when I was looking to share something last night, and being accidentally triggered before that yesterday to then come into a Sunday which is a day full of triggers and working on overcoming triggers again and again and again.

I pray and long earnestly for a reprieve from all the triggers but that hasn't happened in a very long time.

Because even in isolation I get triggered.

Gosh, being triggered this often is so incredibly exhausting, isn't it? I can imagine you'd be feeling really tired. 😔 @avant-garde

Being consistently triggered, going through the subsequent responses, and then the hypervigilance towards potential future triggers can feel like a second job, honestly.

You're doing really well to be able to identify that you're feeling this way, I appreciate you sharing.

Would you like to hear something I have been exploring to rewire my reactions to my triggers? ☺️

@AuntGlow

Sure

Okay, so, research suggests that the lifespan of an emotional cycle is actually only 90 seconds, and the thing that prolongs it is our thoughts, beliefs, and attachments to those feelings. Have you ever noticed that your thoughts about the same situation can be different when you feel less activation in your body? Well, if we allow the 90 second cycle to complete by truly acknowledging and feeling our feelings/finding healthy distractions without getting stuck in our thoughts, then we can start to rewire those neural pathways. It's really interesting stuff. I have been practicing this lately and it's helping - it certainly takes some work, but I think it's worth it.

The Holistic Psychologist talks more about it here: Instagram

Curious to know your thoughts on this and if you decide to give it a go. 🤩 @avant-garde

@AuntGlow

Ok... that's ironically funny... I think that's what I've been doing...

So when I got no ideas from people in my church about how to overcome the trigger component of the visiting minister I came up with my own way, utilising my high attention to detail.

Whenever I looked at him I started getting distressed so I would look at him with a purpose, to find something different.

So last week I did physical differences, that I would look up, get distressed, find the difference.

This week was personal differences, like he doesn't smile when he sings, again it was the look up, get distressed, find the difference.

That in fact after the first service I has 15 differences in total to prevent the distress and actually had a conversation with him, when before, I couldn't last 10 seconds.

I think finding the difference was like the distract 90 seconds.

@rav3n

I had my first appointment with my new psychologist yesterday...

how'd it go!? @avant-garde

@rav3n

I don't hate her, she asked me what works best for me and with having had good and bad therapists I could kind of answer that, to not tell me, but encourage me to find out myself.

We worked through a bit of my history, up to my 20's.

Next session in 2 weeks.

Flashbacks have been intense so far today, there's one that I came out with the urge to vomit.

@avant-garde yay, i reckon 'not hating her' is a good start! glad you had the opportunity to share about about what does/doesn't work for you as well.

that sounds really overwhelming! reckon today's session contributed to those intense flashbacks? pls do take care and go gentle with yourself 💜

@rav3n

Apparently gentle isn't on the agenda.

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