Eliminating or reducing chronic (everyday) flashbacks

Good afternoon @creative_writer, this is a really interesting reflection, and it sounds like you are deeply craving feeling something other than what you are currently experiencing. Is that right?

Also, I am glad to know that you are safe and appreciate you sharing this with us.

PS: I found this article around dopamine that you may find helpful: Revitalize Your ADHD Approach: The Power of the Dopamine Menu 💛💛

@AuntGlow it feels like my brain needs to be chasing something, maybe it’s because I’m trying to avoid painful emotions. Part of it might just be the neurochemistry of the brain. I know I am walking on a very fine line, if I let myself slip, it will get out of control. Just like it did when I used to SH. I feel like my brain is wired for addictive tendencies, but I know all isn’t lost, brains are quite plastic.

Thank you for the article. I am thinking of other ways I can get the boost without negative long term consequences. This method is not kind to my sensitive stomach

I feel like there is something wrong with me, but I don’t know what. People may call it health anxiety and say it’s psychological. But why does something feel off? Maybe it’s my head, who is going to believe me anyway. Blood tests are normal, yet I’m chronically fatigued, and chronically in pain all over my body. Hands are chronically swollen, my knees are always stiff. My back and neck always hurt. And they tell me everything is normal. I wonder if I am missing a piece, that might help with my mental health and may reduce my repeated infections. I’ve had multiple sinus infections, probably multiple yeast infections. I have this annoying eye thingy cyst. They tell me everything is fine

This sounds so incredibly overwhelming for you... I can see you are doing everything you can think of to obtain more answers here. Do you ever notice a time when your symptoms are less present? @creative_writer

I think it's really important to seek professional guidance where you can, so I am glad you are doing so. When my health anxiety was at its worst, I had lots of symptoms I couldn't explain. My nervous system was always heightened, I was hyper-fixated on bodily sensations, I was exhausted and not taking proper care of myself, and my body was showing me that something needed support.

I say this to remind you that our bodies can react to our inner and outer world in so many different ways. In the same breath, this doesn't rule out the reality of something being off-balance for you and wanting to know why this is happening is so understandable. What other therapies or healing modalities are you wanting to explore? 💛

@AuntGlow I’m convinced my magnesium levels were not optimum, even though they came back low normal in my blood. Hence why I used a cream now. I’ve taken low dose oral magnesium for a long time now, before the blood work. I reckon it was low normal because of the supplements, I would’ve been deficient otherwise. Some people may say that’s its placebo, but I don’t think low normal is sufficient for my body.

I want to start an exercise routine, and I think I might need to fix up my diet to compensate for extra exercise. I have an unhealthy relationship with food, so maybe I need a bit of assistance. I honestly do feel like something physical is happening. My gut health needs improvement. It’s just a shame contemporary medicine doesn’t focus as much on gut health. The digestive symptoms are a tell sign. They know gut affects health, but not enough research on improving it.

I’ll continue with psych sessions and perhaps try to improve my diet and build exercise regime. I don’t know what else to do

I think trusting yourself is so important, and I get the sense you are intuitive @creative_writer.

So, if this feels like something more, you are allowed to explore that. In fact, I encourage it.

Food and movement really are medicine, so I think looking at nourishment and movement could be so helpful here.

I know we touched on the ideas of Chinese medicine and naturopathy... but what about a dietician to start? I know you can see one through a GP chronic health care plan (which means they can be partially or fully bulk-billed). What are your thoughts on this as an option?

@AuntGlow we have enough evidence for gut and brain connection. However, often doctors don’t know how to help. I think there is way more research into medicine than healing the gut. Enough though healing the gut would help many health conditions. I’m not saying medicine doesn’t help, it does, but it’s good to include other modalities. Like I cannot increase my meds endlessly, side effects are real. Who knows if that’s the reason why for my random mouth twitches. I just hope the twitches remain mild.

I have seen a dietician, can’t say it helped much. Maybe it does depend on the person you get, maybe someone more suited towards women’s health might work better. I wouldn’t qualify for dietician since I’m using the sessions for a physio. I’m still exploring my options. I need guidance with exercise due to chronic pain, and joint hypermobility. I reckon I have undiagnosed ehlers danlos, it’s more common among neurodiverse individuals

I grew up being told my emotions were wrong. I once asked a previous therapist (no longer she her) how would I know if I was overreacting. Therapist said I would know if I was. WTF is that suppose to mean? Is there suppose to be a universal reaction towards events? I’ll just automatically assume I’m overreacting over everything and that I’m incapable of understanding social norms. Maybe my reaction to trauma isn’t normal 🥺. How am I supposed to make it normal?

That response that you received from your past therapist is very frustrating to hear @creative_writer especially when you've grown up receiving the message that your emotions are wrong - how are you then supposed to just know which ones are an 'overreaction', or coming from a place of dysregulation?

I don't even know if there are any 'normal' reactions to trauma, because to have experienced trauma means that something very not normal has happened, so it seems natural that our response wouldn't seem normal either...

@Ru-bee sometimes my mum’s reactions can be intense, but I kind of see it as a build up of emotions that eventually explode. Sometimes trauma responses get triggered at the most unexpected times.

Maybe it comes from the point of view that whoever has a mental illness is abnormal, hence their reaction is “too much”. I hate the term “abnormal psych” or “psychopathology”. Ableism needs to leave