Anxiety, PTSD, Mental Health: General Discussion

[Simonsays]

hypervigilance and over-analyzing seem to me behavioral categories in one sense.

This is classic PTSD

"For twenty years I observed people denying their childhood traumas, idealizing their parents and resisting the truth about their childhood"

Ashoka , your posts smack of over intellectualization, if you dont mind me saying. I read many posts on this forum that do this. The constant belief in a scientific/biological answer to health issues. Sometimes it can, sometimes not.

Intellectualization is a transition to reason, where the person avoids uncomfortable emotions by focusing on facts and logic. The situation is treated as an interesting problem that engages the person on a rational basis, whilst the emotional aspects are completely ignored as being irrelevant.

My parents very much loved me as a young kid

Im not wishing to denigrate your parents. But was it unconditional, many parents struggle with this. Parenthood is the hardest job in the world.

I'm sure I've done this. I just don't know how deep this problem goes for myself or people in general. Repression is internally and externally originated and therefore it seems dazzlingly hard to talk or think about.

You cant analyse yourself. You need an experienced empathic therapist/counsellor. They may take you to places you dont want to visit.

 

[Ashoka]

The constant belief in a scientific/biological answer to health issues. Sometimes it can, sometimes not.

The point of my last post was to actually convey that I don't think "scientific/biological" explanations can solve all psychological problems.

I have no doubt I have emotional repression. Two years ago my health was ruined almost overnight and PTSD might not be too strong of a term. Brain fog, chronic fatigue, sexual dysfunction. For nearly a year I felt abandoned and hopeless. After that kind of trauma in adulthood, is it necessary to speak about childhood as if it's holding all the answers? I was living comfortably before all these problems and I felt I had a strong sense of purpose in life. I never would have needed to consider visiting a counselor. Only now I do. Now that I'm dealing with real health conditions, real problems. I can tell you a lack of effective mental energy, a lack of clarity in my thought from a damaged metabolism, has affected me psychologically more than the trauma of the experience itself.

 

[Simonsays]

I wish you well with your recovery. All the best.

 

[Ashoka]

I wish you well with your recovery. All the best.

I feel like you're bowing out. Sorry, I know you're just trying to help. I forgot you also said you're dealing with health anxiety yourself, and spending too much time here can be negative. I appreciate you taking the time to share what you know with me. I'll definitely take it to heart.

 

[InChristAlone]

This is classic PTSD

"For twenty years I observed people denying their childhood traumas, idealizing their parents and resisting the truth about their childhood"

Ashoka , your posts smack of over intellectualization, if you dont mind me saying. I read many posts on this forum that do this. The constant belief in a scientific/biological answer to health issues. Sometimes it can, sometimes not.

Intellectualization is a transition to reason, where the person avoids uncomfortable emotions by focusing on facts and logic. The situation is treated as an interesting problem that engages the person on a rational basis, whilst the emotional aspects are completely ignored as being irrelevant.



Im not wishing to denigrate your parents. But was it unconditional, many parents struggle with this. Parenthood is the hardest job in the world.



You cant analyse yourself. You need an experienced empathic therapist/counsellor. They may take you to places you dont want to visit.

I am learning more and more how our thoughts are what create emotion not the other way around, even Hans Selye said it is our reaction to stress- the mental frustration that is the most damaging aspect of stress. And I agree, after I started having anxiety attacks, it was not so much the adrenaline that caused the extreme emotions but my own thoughts. It is also why someone who has their first panic attack is extremely likely to have one again, not even because of any stressful situation but because the person is so afraid of having one again that the fear sets off alarm bells in the body leading to constant adrenaline rushes. The fear is what sets off the panic. Thing is when you are going through an anxiety attack it is really really hard not to go to that place of fear over and over again, so the only way around it for a while is to prevent them altogether. And thats why I look at biology and facts so that I know nothing about my biology is causing it to react so strongly. There could be a reason why I tend to hyperventilate for instance, or there could be a very real cause of tachycardia not associated with any negative thoughts like dehydration, potassium deficiency, and so on.

But I definitely agree on releasing the trauma of how you were treated growing up. My parents definitely had some issues that I've had to really overcome in my own parenting struggles. My Mom didn't have a strong guiding voice- which led to her thyroid disease!, and we walked all over her, my Dad on the otherhand wanted to be the authoritarian and would put us in the corner if we misbehaved, then my Mom would get upset about us being punished, what is interesting is I have an extreme distaste of punishing my kids! And I have let them walk all over me, and have trouble setting boundaries. It has effected every area of my life.

 

[Simonsays]

I can be a bit of an arrogant/narcisstic knob. Im full of therapy/counselling is the answer at the moment. Ive found the answer! I didnt mean to cause offense.

Im trying to extricate myself from a toxic family, but yesterday i heard a young person in my family was rushed to hospital with unexplained severe stomach pains. Its just my hunch it might be psychosomatic.

I was also quoting a therapist who tweets a lot and i have read a lot of articles of hers on BPD which really resonated with me. But as she says most therapists/counsellors have their own trauma/issues going on and thats why its hard to get the right one. But she posted a tweet, that sounded very disturbing to me and very BPD to me, along the lines of "im a generous soul , but if you cross me , retribution is my middle name" Sent shivers down my spine.

I realise its a bit of delicate subject, bringing up childhood and parenting, especially if youre a parent too. You dont need to be psychoanalysed by a stranger on the internet. @Janelle525. Apologies all round.

Its just when i see anxiety, depression and panic etc mentioned on here, there is the tendency to "try this supplement , try that", like doctors shelling out anti anxiety pills and anti depressants. That doesnt mean im anti them. If they were work for you, all to the good. Its just sometimes the problem is deeper and much harder to solve than popping a pill.

I know of one guy on another forum , who was treated with anti depressants for 15 years before he was diagnosed hypothyroid. He now treats himself with T4/T3 and some progesterone, after various combos. Interestingly he did have a very traumatic childhood. Bipolar mother.

Like i say if you are good at expressing emotions and dont have a history of ocd/phobias/anxiety/panic/depression etc (sorry i dont know your age) and it sounds like you were in a good place before all this health problems started, then repressed emotions from childhood trauma arent the key. Some trauma comes in adulthood and a sudden inexplicable decline in health is obviously one and very destabilising. But it is also how we respond to these events, that can give us clues.

I can catastrophise when my heart suddenly stops beating ( i got a rush of them in bed last night) and this only feeds the anxiety loop, more symptoms, more hypervigilance, etc.

I wish you well.

 

[Simonsays]

Thing is when you are going through an anxiety attack it is really really hard not to go to that place of fear over and over again,

Hi Janelle, this is something my ex suffers from a lot. She had a panic attack at the hairdressers and she associated that hairdresser with the panic attack and wont go back for fear of it being triggered. She also suffered from agoraphobia for two years long before she met me.

It seems to me you have an angle on it though

 

[InChristAlone]

I had a lot of symptoms of BPD, insecurity and paranoia in relationships, extreme mood changes. A lot of it went away after I had to go through the panic disorder, I have learned loads just loads on how to live a healthy life and if it were not for the stress of sleep deprivation and struggles with my kids maybe I wouldnt be where I am today. So I am grateful for the struggle, sometimes you have to learn through trauma what it is to be alive. What it is to truly be YOU. Thanks @Simonsays for the conversation I enjoy talking about this stuff. Instead of someone just telling me to take thyroid and evrything will fix itself nope was on thyroid when it all started! Haha

 

[Simonsays]

Sorry @Ashoka, for hijacking your thread! But now BPD has been brought up, im off and running!
@Janelle525 have you read "

 

[Simonsays]

sorry continuing... "Understanding the Borderline Mother" by Christine Lawson. Ive got 2 copies natch, its quite expensive. Well the scales fell from my eyes, someones just described my childhood/teenage years! (It can be a bit annoying with the constant fairytale analogy (she breaks them down into 4 types)), but what an eye opener!

Not that i can i remember much before the age of 10 its a total blank. No happy memories at all.My therapist says i didnt repress it , i probably dissociated from the pain and anguish.

Shari Schreiber writes well on it too on the internet, from both a male and female perspective. (but see above re her tweet)

Now looking back i can honestly say ive dated 3 borderlines! All the traits were there. Wonder why?? Much happier with pain insecurity and anguish than tranquility and peace!! Family 3 and counting.

Its a dreadful under recognised condition, as a lot of BPDs can come across as quite normal ( to themselves as well), to non family members such as friends and work colleagues. Only the family knows.

"The son of a depressed, victim-like mother grows up with a fierce need to protect & rescue females." Tick

"The root of rescuing compulsions is a deep sense inadequacy~ "I'm not lovable or good enough, unless I'm taking care of someone's needs." Tick

"Some BPD females verbally castrate their partner and trigger his core shame from childhood~ then they accuse him of being "an angry man."" Tick and so it goes on and on.

Well you were on thyroid before, aint that interesting!!

Best of luck with your recovery. You have insight into your condition, im just coming to terms with mine. Good luck

Shall we start a BPD thread?? Problem is my narcisstic self would hog it 24/7 ha ha. There are BPD forums. Out of the Fog ??

Sorry again @Ashoka !!

 

[Ahanu]

With those subsequent changes in posture, I think we can basically affect internal organs especially if this is coupled with poor health in general. It seems to me the type of internal pressure developed by bad posture generates really bad feelings of anxiety, never mind endotoxin or other digestive issues down the track.

Hi Ashoka,
After starting daily meditation i developed a lot of stomach discomfort, even pain. I could not connect it to anything really. This continued for more than a year. It never occured to me that it could be the meditation because its benefits were profound. And i was confused because my psychological state was improving but people told me this chronic pain must be something psychological. As i started by chance with the alexander technique i started to see how much pressure i placed on my stomach in my day to day activities especially when sitting (in meditation) and as i learned to sit without this pressure the stomach discomfort went away.

I am convinced that posture can have a great impact on our organism and in a lot of cases it would make sense to work on that also.

 

[InChristAlone]

sorry continuing... "Understanding the Borderline Mother" by Christine Lawson. Ive got 2 copies natch, its quite expensive. Well the scales fell from my eyes, someones just described my childhood/teenage years! (It can be a bit annoying with the constant fairytale analogy (she breaks them down into 4 types)), but what an eye opener!

Not that i can i remember much before the age of 10 its a total blank. No happy memories at all.My therapist says i didnt repress it , i probably dissociated from the pain and anguish.

Shari Schreiber writes well on it too on the internet, from both a male and female perspective. (but see above re her tweet)

Now looking back i can honestly say ive dated 3 borderlines! All the traits were there. Wonder why?? Much happier with pain insecurity and anguish than tranquility and peace!! Family 3 and counting.

Its a dreadful under recognised condition, as a lot of BPDs can come across as quite normal ( to themselves as well), to non family members such as friends and work colleagues. Only the family knows.

"The son of a depressed, victim-like mother grows up with a fierce need to protect & rescue females." Tick

"The root of rescuing compulsions is a deep sense inadequacy~ "I'm not lovable or good enough, unless I'm taking care of someone's needs." Tick

"Some BPD females verbally castrate their partner and trigger his core shame from childhood~ then they accuse him of being "an angry man."" Tick and so it goes on and on.

Well you were on thyroid before, aint that interesting!!

Best of luck with your recovery. You have insight into your condition, im just coming to terms with mine. Good luck

Shall we start a BPD thread?? Problem is my narcisstic self would hog it 24/7 ha ha. There are BPD forums. Out of the Fog ??

Sorry again @Ashoka !!

Sounds like a new thread would be good! I'd hate to keep going with this on Ashoka's thread. Yes my husband got quite a bit from me over the years, I'm almost a completely different person now though, I have no desire to tear anyone down especially not the people closest to me. I'm sorry you are going through this, it will teach you a lot about yourself though, like I said what it is to be truly YOU and not have to please anyone else. Yeah thyroid didn't fix anything except give me high temps and pulses that seem to exacerbate nervousness for me and lead to more crashes.

 

[Jennifer]

Sounds like a new thread would be good! I'd hate to keep going with this on Ashoka's thread. Yes my husband got quite a bit from me over the years, I'm almost a completely different person now though, I have no desire to tear anyone down especially not the people closest to me. I'm sorry you are going through this, it will teach you a lot about yourself though, like I said what it is to be truly YOU and not have to please anyone else. Yeah thyroid didn't fix anything except give me high temps and pulses that seem to exacerbate nervousness for me and lead to more crashes.

+1 for a new thread on this topic. :) I was going to respond to something you and Simonsays wrote, but don't want to go off topic.

 

[Ashoka]

You guys can keep talking here or start a new thread. But if you start a new one you might get more interest in the topic. That would be my only thought about it.

Hi Ashoka,
After starting daily meditation i developed a lot of stomach discomfort, even pain. I could not connect it to anything really. This continued for more than a year. It never occured to me that it could be the meditation because its benefits were profound. And i was confused because my psychological state was improving but people told me this chronic pain must be something psychological. As i started by chance with the alexander technique i started to see how much pressure i placed on my stomach in my day to day activities especially when sitting (in meditation) and as i learned to sit without this pressure the stomach discomfort went away.

I am convinced that posture can have a great impact on our organism and in a lot of cases it would make sense to work on that also.

That's awesome, Ahanu. I definitely have that pressure in my stomach and lower back. When I sit and especially when I stand, I have a tight stomach. I bet the Alexander also gave you a type of confidence. Simply changing body language improves wellbeing. And I'm a very aesthetically-oriented person so I think that's why it appeals to me also. Did you notice any other improvements or try anything else?

 

[Ukall]

I am testing the theory of endotoxin right now by eating a daily carrot, so far today it feels like it helped my tachycardia.

I am trying the same thing for the same purpose and I must be honest that my heart feels so soft and smooth after taking the carrot salad.
I have all the symptoms you've said. Regarding palpitations and pounding heart, no joke here, I have more than 20 a day and they are mainly after eating some huge meal. I feel my heart beating as I have never felt before and damn, after the carrot, it's such a relief.

Regarding the whole thread it is very interesting reading other opinions.
However, I feel somewhat confused, because all you are saying was my first really approach.
I started being accompanied by a psychologist. I have to say here you must really have a good one, otherwise the theme of the consultation is based on what I did yesterday and on what I am going to do tomorrow. Also, psychologist have their own thoughts and beliefs (that's why after, I have found spirituality much more interesting and open minded).
I started there, then I went to a psychiatrist because some psychologists said that I need SSRIs.
I have been 8 years around this world with both psychologist and psychiatrist at the same time (several of them).
Now it's the first time I am trying this point of view, specially regarding my food choices.
I don't like also when people answer with the classic thyroid issue or link some Ray Peat articles. Sometimes, just exposing our problems to other people is the answer. Or a simple good conversation (like this one).

I think anything that seems to be helpful to a person is worth a try.

 

[Simonsays]

Going back on thread!

I am convinced that posture can have a great impact on our organism and in a lot of cases it would make sense to work on that also.[/QUOTE]

Are Your Heart Palpitations and Stomach Bloating Connected?

There is something in this.

My missed beats overwhelmingly come in the late afternoon/evening , especially after sitting down most of the day in my recliner, which is terrible for posture. I also get them lying down. I thought it was to do with hormonal changes during the day. I rarely get them in the morning or early afternoon. I think they do come after ive eaten in the afternoon or evening.

I see on the thread to the site, many people use ginger to calm the stomach??

 

[Ukall]

I also get them lying down.

Very interesting, I get most of them when I am standing and sit.
The moment I lay down on my bed, is when I feel better (I still got some, but not that strong).
Also, sometimes it frustrates me because I want to show to others that I have palpitations. However, when I want to show them, I don't have any.
The other day I got a stethoscope, because I wanted to hear it. Guess what, no palpitations at all when I was trying to hear them. But the moment I start doing another thing - and even merely thinking about some random thing - I got some.
It feels like when you have some problem in your car. Then you go to the manufacturer and the problem doesn't seem to exist. Right after you go back to the street, here it comes again.

In this case, I can see that it could be somehow related to my mind and in what I am doing. One could say stress, perhaps.
Though, it's also interesting for me to notice that the carrot salad has this effect on me. Placebo or not, I don't know. But I will continue trying it.

 

[Simonsays]

It feels like when you have some problem in your car. Then you go to the manufacturer and the problem doesn't seem to exist. Right after you go back to the street, here it comes again.

Youve owned an Alfa too!!

 

[Ukall]

Youve owned an Alfa too!!

LOOL! It wasn't the case, but it would be very funny if it was

 

[Ahanu]

I bet the Alexander also gave you a type of confidence. Simply changing body language improves wellbeing. And I'm a very aesthetically-oriented person so I think that's why it appeals to me also. Did you notice any other improvements or try anything else

Yes, the confidence I got was most pleasant and led me to study it even more. I practised a lot of methods. Yoga, Tai Chi, open focus, Tre, buteyko and as I said Meditation. Now I think of the Alexander technique as the most fundamental help for me. It builts or better rebuilts a foundation from which I can learn new things without harming me. Every goal has the potential to miss or overuse oneself. Alexander called it endgaining. And with this technique you can minimize that effect.
I got a lot of benefits from it. To summerize it made my live a much happier and curious one.