S
shaucro
Member
- Mar 10, 2024
- 22
Another thread got me to thinking (and I didn't want to derail that thread!)...
We've probably all heard the phrase "listen to your body". It's usually used in relation to health and fitness but of course it has broader implications. Our bodies talk to us all the time, and the brain translates it (as best it can) and passes the message on. Hunger, thirst... that's the body talking. Our brains do not always get the translation right. Sometimes we eat because we're bored, or anxious, or whatever, but not hungry - boredom gets translated as hunger. Our brains are fallible, they're only making judgement calls based on previous experience.
Fear is the body talking to us too. It's kinda saying "we don't want you to do that" - whatever "that" is. Fear is like a warning. Some people love fear, they find it exhilarating and exciting. Apparently, some people don't even feel fear, due to differences in hormones or glands etc. Fear is a natural reaction and (this is going to sound weird, I know) there is no need to be afraid of fear. Indeed fear is to be expected on occasions. We ought expect fear whenever we perceive danger for instance, or are lives are at risk. And just like hunger and boredom, sometimes the brain gets the translation wrong. Sometimes there is no danger, and we just feel afraid. Do you ever feel fear when making an internet purchase? Or having to talk to someone? In those instances, you put your fear aside (because you know there's no real danger) and you move on.
Experiencing fear can be seen as the 1st stage of survival instinct (SI). I personally don't think of fear as SI itself, merely a prelude to it, but accept it's a step on the path, and I accept people use the term in a broader sense than I do. I see full blown SI as a later stage, when our conscious brain gets dropped from the conversation and the body goes into a more primeval state of 'this shit is serious man' I don't see use having any conscious control over SI or being able to avoid it (if it's triggered that is, instant death avoids it of course) A matter of process.
So we can see our will or desire to push past fear as a measure of how serious we are to ctb. That's harshly worded I know but I mean no judgement by it. There is no challenge thrown down nor accusations of cowardice intentionally implied. Indeed, the contrary. Look to the positives. If you acknowledge your fear as a natural response to danger and you do not want to push past it (or can't make yourself push past it) then it necessarily means that you want to stay alive. Embrace that. You haven't yet reached the tipping point, the point at which you CAN move past fear. The cons outweigh the pros, or vice versa, however you want to word it. There's no shame in wanting to stay alive, even on a suicide forum!
We've probably all heard the phrase "listen to your body". It's usually used in relation to health and fitness but of course it has broader implications. Our bodies talk to us all the time, and the brain translates it (as best it can) and passes the message on. Hunger, thirst... that's the body talking. Our brains do not always get the translation right. Sometimes we eat because we're bored, or anxious, or whatever, but not hungry - boredom gets translated as hunger. Our brains are fallible, they're only making judgement calls based on previous experience.
Fear is the body talking to us too. It's kinda saying "we don't want you to do that" - whatever "that" is. Fear is like a warning. Some people love fear, they find it exhilarating and exciting. Apparently, some people don't even feel fear, due to differences in hormones or glands etc. Fear is a natural reaction and (this is going to sound weird, I know) there is no need to be afraid of fear. Indeed fear is to be expected on occasions. We ought expect fear whenever we perceive danger for instance, or are lives are at risk. And just like hunger and boredom, sometimes the brain gets the translation wrong. Sometimes there is no danger, and we just feel afraid. Do you ever feel fear when making an internet purchase? Or having to talk to someone? In those instances, you put your fear aside (because you know there's no real danger) and you move on.
Experiencing fear can be seen as the 1st stage of survival instinct (SI). I personally don't think of fear as SI itself, merely a prelude to it, but accept it's a step on the path, and I accept people use the term in a broader sense than I do. I see full blown SI as a later stage, when our conscious brain gets dropped from the conversation and the body goes into a more primeval state of 'this shit is serious man' I don't see use having any conscious control over SI or being able to avoid it (if it's triggered that is, instant death avoids it of course) A matter of process.
So we can see our will or desire to push past fear as a measure of how serious we are to ctb. That's harshly worded I know but I mean no judgement by it. There is no challenge thrown down nor accusations of cowardice intentionally implied. Indeed, the contrary. Look to the positives. If you acknowledge your fear as a natural response to danger and you do not want to push past it (or can't make yourself push past it) then it necessarily means that you want to stay alive. Embrace that. You haven't yet reached the tipping point, the point at which you CAN move past fear. The cons outweigh the pros, or vice versa, however you want to word it. There's no shame in wanting to stay alive, even on a suicide forum!
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