Tagged With "Dysregulation"

For a lot of people with Childhood PTSD, talking about traumatic memories can make symptoms worse -- worse than if we were to do nothing at all. Yet talking about the past is the default mode of therapy for virtually everyone who is depressed, anxious or troubled about the past. It's true that talking can be crucial to emotional healing. But there is a lot of research that supports WRITING as a more effective way to communicate past trauma and relieve symptoms of Childhood PTSD. In this...

Note: This article is a transcript of a video excerpted from my online course Dysregulation Bootcamp. Brain and emotional dysregulation are common in adults who experienced abuse and neglect in childhoodhood, and is linked to problems with mood, mental focus, health and relationships. Hurrying is a huge trigger for a lot of people with Childhood PTSD -- everything from trying to get out the door in the morning, to rushing through traffic, to just getting overwhelmed with everything you’re...

I've just scheduled five free Zoom webinars in the next four weeks, open to you and others interested in learning and trying my "Daily Practice." These are the techniques I've used for more than 25 years to re-regulate my brain and emotions, supporting the healing of Childhood PTSD. There are two particular and simple techniques we'll cover in each 55-minute webinar: 1. Writing fears and resentments 2. 20-minute simple meditation Plus time for Q&A with me Get more info and register here.

Trauma dysregulates the body. It moves energy levels away from baseline to extremes of hyperarousal (“too much,” panic, overwhelm) and sometimes hypoarousal (“low,” lethargy, emptiness), not only alternating but sometimes getting stuck in either extreme. When we experience overwhelm in the body, one natural response to this dysregulation (and accompanying confusion or relational struggles) is to just get away—perhaps through drinking, sex, anxiety medication, working out, or power-watching...

What’s the difference between anger and resentment in Childhood PTSD? Is it really so wrong to be resentful? Isn’t there a risk of becoming a forgiving “doormat” if you lose the resentment you carry against those who wronged you? In this video I explain the everyday toxicity of resentful thoughts, and how to use my Daily Practice to release resentment and fear, and gain more clarity, and more power to make choices in life. You can learn my techniques for releasing fear and resentment, and...

Adults who experienced early trauma are prone to dysregulation of the brain and nervous system, especially in response to stress. Dysregulation, in turn, can trigger (or exacerbate) depression, anxiety, illness, addiction and emotional outbursts. So clearly, learning to re-regulate is the first step in healing the effects of Childhood PTSD. If you think you may be experiencing dysregulation, learn about common symptoms (as well as ten on-the-spot healing techniques) on this free download.

Thanks for letting us know, Anna!

The idea of resentments as a cluster of fears is a revelation to me. I also thought that somehow there was strength and power and protection in resentment, in the same way I used to think that about anger. Once I let go of that attitude toward anger, I was able to feel the sadness that was often at the core of the anger. I've found a lot more strength and power in allowing myself to feel sadness than I ever did in masking it behind anger. Sounds like it's time to explore doing the same with...

Hmmm. I stay busy as an avoidance tactic but I never thought of hurrying, via procrastination, as such a tactic. I think I hurry because I pressure myself to get to the next thing on my list so I can stay busy AND because I'm overwhelmed by feeling as if I need to get everything done -- it's all on me. And I resent it when other people hurry me because it seems counterproductive. In any case, hurrying and overwhelm definitely trigger me. Yet another sidelined and little-recognized effect of...

Re: Dysregulation & CPTSD -- Triggered by Hurrying and Overwhelm?

I always appreciate reading your insights Anna, thank you. Take care, Michael

For many childhood trauma survivors, there's a certain something, a je ne sais quoi, that colors their daily living no matter how well-treated any other related diagnoses, such as anxiety or depression, are. Maybe that certain something, or one part of that certain something, is the brain dysregulation you describe here, Anna. It sure rings true to me, and I bet it does to others too. The do-anywhere methods for re-regulating are much appreciated, and I'll be testing some of them out soon...

Yes! There must be a mountain of research (not to mention anecdotal evidence) that writing is one of the most effective ways to process the emotion from traumatic events, not to mention everyday stresses and worries. While talk therapy has its place and its benefits, it's not always the best approach for recovering from trauma, for the reasons you cite. From personal experience, I'd caution anyone who's considering writing about a trauma they've experienced, especially if they have not yet...

If you’re feeling like the people YOU like, don’t like YOU -- and you don’t know why -- the first thing you want to look at is whether you are people-pleasing. People-pleasing is the act of changing yourself to make people like you -- trying to match their interests and values, flattering them, and hiding how you really think and feel in hopes that they’ll let you in, and keep you in their lives. People-pleasing is really common for people who were abused and neglected in childhood. It’s...

Dysregulated stress is central to the ACEs/health outcomes link. The healing journey starts with regulating stress arousal that is stuck on too high or too low.

Pre-COVID, I was invited to speak at a conference in Flagstaff, Arizona. During lunch the organizers brought dancers from the Apache tribe to perform. What we witnessed was so powerful and moving, that it prompted me to inquire about the spiritual significance of the songs and dance. They explained to me that after going to war, the warriors returned to their land and were gathered together to perform that particular dance and song. As a tribal African woman, it all made perfect sense. As...

Such an important article...having spent time in India and lived in Greece and Mexico....as well as rural parts of America (and NYC).....I think what you're saying is golden. And as a psychologist, the regulating activities of daily life in America are sorely missing...as well as the co-regulation of close, intimate family relationships....unscheduled time, making dinner together, eating together, cleaning together....all of it! Great article!