Help What have you found helpful in dealing with or avoiding freeze stress response?

[CuriosityAndCat]

What have you found helpful in dealing with or avoiding freeze stress response?

 

[ConfusedClouds]

I'm interested in peoples suggestions too.

My methods are mainly not great trying to pre-empt (subtle sh like scratching or being/getting cold e.g shorts in winter or holding a too-hot drink). Exercise can minimise it too but theres a very fine margin between not enough (usually intensity) and ending up over-tired.

 

[Ash]

If it's mild, then doing the opposite (moving) gives everything a shake and resets my ability to process.

But when it's moderate/severe, everything shuts down. I sometimes get a small voice either trying to encourage me to move or telling me to keep still, stay quiet or whatever. If that voice isn't there, I have very little recollection afterwards. About the only thing that works in this situation is someone else intervening. They need to be soft spoken, kind, give me time to get used to their presence, hold my hand or something, tell me what to do instead of giving me choices ("let's get you sitting in this chair" rather than "do you want to sit down?"). It's taken years but I've taught myself to trust people who do that. But if someone comes along and is bossy, loud, condescending etc then I shut down even further. Think hedgehog in a safe ball of prickles.

Hoping someone has got some ideas of how to break the living rigor mortis without someone else's help!

 

[ConfusedClouds]

tell me what to do instead of giving me choices

Yes, this helps me too! Clear instructions to get me 'doing'. Can't be anything complex, something I can do on autopilot, but defo no options/choices/'if you don't feel like it'

 

[CuriosityAndCat]

Yes, this helps me too! Clear instructions to get me 'doing'. Can't be anything complex, something I can do on autopilot, but defo no options/choices/'if you don't feel like it'

This is due to decision making part of brain shutting down.

If it's mild, then doing the opposite (moving) gives everything a shake and resets my ability to process.

But when it's moderate/severe, everything shuts down. I sometimes get a small voice either trying to encourage me to move or telling me to keep still, stay quiet or whatever. If that voice isn't there, I have very little recollection afterwards. About the only thing that works in this situation is someone else intervening. They need to be soft spoken, kind, give me time to get used to their presence, hold my hand or something, tell me what to do instead of giving me choices ("let's get you sitting in this chair" rather than "do you want to sit down?"). It's taken years but I've taught myself to trust people who do that. But if someone comes along and is bossy, loud, condescending etc then I shut down even further. Think hedgehog in a safe ball of prickles.

Hoping someone has got some ideas of how to break the living rigor mortis without someone else's help!

I've never heard of this. Something I'm going to look into. Maybe make a recording for myself

 

[penguinl0v3s]

Alarm. Don't wanna do it now? Set an alarm for maybe 10-20 minutes later and when it goes off, stress time is over and work time is now. You get a slight boost in likelihood to do something if you give yourself what you perceive as a break.

 

[CuriosityAndCat]

After your suggestions and research. The things I'll be testing out slowly over the next few months:

1. Recording myself telling me to move away, breathe, go outside, and go for a walk
2. Active coping - out loud stating intention that I'm giving permission to take a break and doing action to cope
3. Increased in person socializing - I've been isolating and freeze up when I'm alone
4. Biking
5. Daily meditation and pranayama (breathing exercises)
6. Neurofeedback
7. CPT - to deal with the triggers
8. Fixing my sleep schedule

 

[Ash]

I don't know if this fits in with what you've already listed, but I was reminded yesterday that it's important to regularly check in with myself to see how I'm feeling in that moment. No need to "fix" anything, just getting in the habit of being able to identify the emotion. If that's too hard, just consider how I'm feeling physically. Then build it up to why. Then eventually consider if that particular emotion is helpful right now or can/should I come back to it?

Apparently when you're in the habit of doing this, it gets easier to be able to regulate the emotions or indeed lack thereof (which is how it ties into trauma responses).

After your suggestions and research. The things I'll be testing out slowly over the next few months:

1. Recording myself telling me to move away, breathe, go outside, and go for a walk
2. Active coping - out loud stating intention that I'm giving permission to take a break and doing action to cope
3. Increased in person socializing - I've been isolating and freeze up when I'm alone
4. Biking
5. Daily meditation and pranayama (breathing exercises)
6. Neurofeedback
7. CPT - to deal with the triggers
8. Fixing my sleep schedule

 

[ConfusedClouds]

After your suggestions and research. The things I'll be testing out slowly over the next few months:

1. Recording myself telling me to move away, breathe, go outside, and go for a walk
2. Active coping - out loud stating intention that I'm giving permission to take a break and doing action to cope
3. Increased in person socializing - I've been isolating and freeze up when I'm alone
4. Biking
5. Daily meditation and pranayama (breathing exercises)
6. Neurofeedback
7. CPT - to deal with the triggers
8. Fixing my sleep schedule

This sounds great. Please let us know how you get on!

What is Neurofeedback/how is it used? (I know I could google, but would be interested to hear your ideas relevant to the context).

it's important to regularly check in with myself to see how I'm feeling in that moment. No need to "fix" anything, just getting in the habit of being able to identify the emotion. If that's too hard, just consider how I'm feeling physically. Then build it up to why. Then eventually consider if that particular emotion is helpful right now or can/should I come back to it?

I really struggle with this. Can't put words to anything or recognise emotions. Even physical stuff I struggle to identify - often brushing anything aside as 'irrelevant' or due to an external cause rather than linked to me. Generally nothing (blank) or very overreactive. Do you have any tips for this process?

If someone ever asks how I am, I generally freeze and just go with default fine/all grand. Probably more of a freeze avoidance that escalates because also if someone asks more details, I'm stuffed! Kinda embarrassing as an adult.

Didn't realise it was freeze until starting therapy and even then my therapist would struggle to even get physical awareness out of me.

 

[CuriosityAndCat]

I don't know if this fits in with what you've already listed, but I was reminded yesterday that it's important to regularly check in with myself to see how I'm feeling in that moment. No need to "fix" anything, just getting in the habit of being able to identify the emotion. If that's too hard, just consider how I'm feeling physically. Then build it up to why. Then eventually consider if that particular emotion is helpful right now or can/should I come back to it?

Apparently when you're in the habit of doing this, it gets easier to be able to regulate the emotions or indeed lack thereof (which is how it ties into trauma responses).

I'll add checking in to the list. It's hard for anyone who deals with emotional dysregulation to recognize their emotions other than 'panic' or 'not now' in the beginning. So this should help a lot. It's also part of CPT. Currently partially doing this along with a Samsung watch6 smart watch. Biofeedback of heart rate and stress seems to be helpful in regulation.

This sounds great. Please let us know how you get on!

What is Neurofeedback/how is it used? (I know I could google, but would be interested to hear your ideas relevant to the context).

I really struggle with this. Can't put words to anything or recognise emotions. Even physical stuff I struggle to identify - often brushing anything aside as 'irrelevant' or due to an external cause rather than linked to me. Generally nothing (blank) or very overreactive. Do you have any tips for this process?

If someone ever asks how I am, I generally freeze and just go with default fine/all grand. Probably more of a freeze avoidance that escalates because also if someone asks more details, I'm stuffed! Kinda embarrassing as an adult.

Didn't realise it was freeze until starting therapy and even then my therapist would struggle to even get physical awareness out of me.

Neurofeedback is effective in ptsd learning to regulate. Freeze has a drop in prefrontal cortex activity so learning to regulate this should help with maintaining some control.

I freak out sometimes when someone asks details about me. It's part of negative view of sense of self. Usually string feelings of shame, guilt, and/or not being good enough (worthlessness) emerge.

Mindfulness meditation along with pranayama seems to have big impact on emotional regulation and other CPTSD symptoms after 2 weeks.

Active coping. Stating I'm doing am activity to cope orto take a break out loud is helpful; it's easier to relax during and later leave the activity instead if bingeing. I think it's because it replaces the activities typical goal of avoidance or hiding.

Increasing socialization immediately reduced flashbacks and haven't had one in a while. Constantly feel like I have to do other things or I don't deserve to socialize so it can be difficult to just do it.
Decided to record myself chanting the litany against fear to start of testing hearing myself giving me commands.

Researched workouts a bit, and it looks like balance based exercises and/or yoga need to be included because they show increased activity in frontal cortex.

Cardio and weights also seem to help. Regardless need to make it fun for long term so I'm starting biking on Wednesday.

I'm having difficulty with fixing my sleep due to a mix of nightmares, insomnia, stress, and guilt for not getting enough done.

I'll be starting CPT up again today. Along with check-in.