PTSD, Trauma, Traumatic EventsAaron Brinen Reliving versus revisiting. The difference is that when individuals experience intrusive memories of ptsd, the memory pops into their mind without warning, usually at the worst part. The reaction is typically to push the memory out (thought suppression). Therapeutically, the provider helps the individual move through the memory from beginning to end systematically. The terrible parts and also the less terrible parts. The aim is reduced distress (through learning memories in and of themselves are not dangerous, rather unpleasant) and Reduced need for avoidance. Other good learning too.
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If you ask my best friends from college and I tell them sometimes I just want to be alone they would laugh!
I am such an extrovert--I gain energy by being with and around people. I love to dance, cook for others, laugh out loud a lot, concerts, visiting family sometimes, and one thing I don't worry about is who sees me who communicates with me because I love talking lol. But sometimes, this extrovert just wants to be ALONE. I am married, I have a 4 year old, and a 6 year old, work full time, and I also work part-time. It's like during the day while I'm at work having taken my adderall I can work and work and be so productive. Very productive. While I am working this is one time that I want to be alone. I keep my office door closed 95% of the time. Why you ask? I think it has something to do with my anxiety---worrying that what I'm doing is not enough and someone will see me. Makes no sense right? Welp.... that's how I feel. Once I get off from work, I am usually energized! You know that feeling, even if its not Friday, when the work day ends I'M EXCITED AND FULL OF ENERGY. As I am driving home from work, I realize that I'm coming home to my next job. My family. Then on most drives home I start to get overwhelmed, anxious, and the energy turns into immediate exhaustion. Why? My children are young and need so much. Being a parent to me is scary, fun, a blessing, and sometimes overwhelming. So my energy goes away and now I'm dreading pulling up to my house. So, I sit in my car ALONE when I pull up. I meditate, listen to music, part of a podcast, or talk to a loved one. Just for about 10 minutes as a buffer between work and home. I struggle with negative self-talk and negative emotions. And this burns my brain and heart out more than I'd like it to. When I use meta-cognition, it helps with the negative self-talk and negative emotions. I think about my thinking---but when I do this, I need and want to be ALONE. I also meditate, read, pray to help me while I process these feelings. And you know what, sometimes I just need a damn break! from everything and all responsibilities. This helps me reset and get a head start on moving forward the next day with a positive mindset. So, sometimes I do stay-cations to find some time alone. I will book a hotel room bring a writing pad and just BE. Be quiet, be alone, read, pray, write, all these things I do with my phone on silent, with the tv off, and this stay-cation works for me every single time. So if you like to be alone sometimes, its not abnormal. It's not selfish. It's not a sign you need help. What it really is, you are normal for wanting alone time. This helps with burnout. You are not selfish, you are utilizing self-care. And last, because you want to be alone sometimes, does not mean you have mental health issues necessarily. But it is a possibility if you suffer from ADHD, Bipolar disorder, Depression, or anxiety these mental health disorders can cause you to want to be more introverted . The STOP method is a mental health trick that can be used to get us through any stressful situation. Each letter in STOP gives us an opportunity to relive our stress, lets learn a little more about it.
S: Stop what you're doing , press the pause button on your thoughts and actions. Be still. T: Take a few deep breaths to center yourself and bring yourself fully into the present moment. O: Observe What physical sensations are you aware of? What are you feeling right now? What assumptions are you making about your feelings? What is the STORY you are telling yourself about what you've observed? P: Proceed with whatever you were doing making a conscious , intentional choice to incorporate what you just learned about yourself. When using this method you will have an opportunity to turn a stressful situation around and make it better. It keeps you from SAYING or DOING something you'll regret late and this method can take from 1-2 minutes. Thank you for reading, don't forget to leave your comments! Love and Hugs, Brandlyn ![]() My name is Jonathan Hall and I am the owner of I Am Awear - a brand which seeks to actively encourage mental health through fashion, art and literature. However, I am also a millennial who had fallen victim to psychosis, and severe manic episodes leading to bi-polar disorder and the admittance into a mental health acute facility. These experiences are what shaped my decision to relaunch my business and subject myself to self imposed discipline as it has been said to be the surest way to increase the quality of your existence. After my stay in the mental health facility I was given large doses of medication. I don't quite remember all of what I was given, however I do recall some names – Divalproex for one and the other I remember was Lorazepam. Every morning I would wake up feeling like a zombie. So after about 5 weekly visits to the mental health intervention clinic I stopped taking my medication and reverted back to meditation every morning and night. For a timeline, I was admitted in November, I was released in December and stopped taking my meds late January. As a result of these events I was able to attain funding to relaunch my business I Am Awear. This is where I am now, just a days away from relaunching my brand which means so much more to me now than it did a couple years ago. With I Am Awear I am striving to creatively empower the wearer by delivering an innovative experience through fashion, art, and literature. We focus on supplying products and services that will always promote positive thinking while expounding upon human potential. Most importantly, our intention is to gracefully shift the perception of self for the betterment of humanity and raise the consciousness level of our culture. All products are designed to become a symbol of self-awareness, the Thinkin’ Cap is our first example of high-quality craftsmanship merging with entertaining and insightful literature. Every product from the OGC (Original Collection) comes zip- sealed with the latest issue of our ongoing comic series: "A Still City Story" A Still City Story is an original comic books series which I have written and illustrated. The story is inspired by the surrounding influences in my community , my desire to find myself and the eye-opening events which took place before being admitted as an impatient to a mental health facility. I hope to inspire youth to seek within and find themselves, especially during a time like this. The one thing we can rely on is ourselves. I Am Awear launches at the end of May online at www.iam-awear.com and www.instagram.com/iamawear and as proud supporters, with every order we donate 5% to the Canadian Mental Health Association. |
AuthorBrandlyn Owens is passionate about exploring and educating herself and others about mental health topics. She's a momma of 2 kiddos and she resides in Durham, NC. Archives
May 2021
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