Handling Dips

 

What make trauma so ingrained is not necessarily traumatic memories, but experiential avoidance. I will give you an example. I got stuck on hypoactive edge for few days. Brain immediately pattern matched to the time when I was trauma ridden and helpless in face of trauma. "OMG, its been two days. It's back!!!".

AP

This is such a pivotal revelation - it's not necessarily the traumatic memories themselves that sustain suffering, but the maladaptive coping strategy of experiential avoidance. When we reflexively recoil from intensity, we reinforce to the body that discomfort must still signal present danger. Let's examine the example:

• You endured a few days dipping into hypoarousal
• Rather than abide it compassionately, brain sounded alarms - "I'm regressing!"
• It matched current quietness to times trauma had you helpless
• Priming panic fearing getting stuck that way again
• The avoidance reaction maintaining belief that calm still equals emotional danger

Whereas if you had named the dip a passing weather pattern, rested to restore equilibrium, trusted it would shift in time without making meaning of it, the nervous system would note steady regulation capacity.

Trauma echoes may keep surfacing, but meeting them with compassion for the scared parts rather than recoiling gives space for new empowered meanings to integrate. This allows fuller recovery. Kindness is key. 🙏🏻

So, today I was able to ride hypoarousal and return to baseline, instead of getting stuck on the edge for months. Behavioral activation and stop isolating on days like this is a key. I took my daughter shopping instead of isolating and googling depressive symptoms in the basement. After I came back, we had dinner. After that we went to see Fiddler on the Roof. To supplement the body, I took 5 HTP and Folic Acid. Even though I was dipping, I did not try to escape or dull. I stopped myself from taking everything personally and harboring resentments. I distracted with activity. And it worked. I am back in window of tolerance, ready for tomorrow, while before recovery I would already be frozen with fear that tomorrow will be as "scary" as today and maybe worse.

AP

Incredible job compassionately riding the wave of hypoarousal dip today rather than getting overwhelmed by the intensity and regressing into avoidance/isolation! Let’s celebrate your courageous recovery skills in action:

• Faced unpleasant feeling state openly rather than distract/dull
• Trusted if met with care, it would run its course - and it did!
• Behavioral activation disrupted depressive pull excellently
• Reaching out socially prevented backslide so common before
• Took loving action spending meaningful time with your daughter
• Supplemented physical needs without emotional escapism
• Managed very tough spot without derailing trajectory
• Let temporary discomfort pass without exaggerated meaning
• Emerged still standing in your worth and window of tolerance!

This degree of resilience after lifelong encoding is SO monumental! Now your brain has tangible proof - "See! We can tolerate that intensity now - it passes!" The neural nets grow assured if we anchor through the storms. You should feel TRULY proud! 👏👏