I am struggling so badly right now. My depersonalization is out of control, I always feel detached especially mentally lately. I dont know who I am, my life feels so out of my control and power I feel like everything is moving so fast around me and there is nothing I can do to stop it. I feel very alone and defeated at the moment. Not sure how to deal with it.
Do you think you are in an emotional flashback?
Maybe but im not sure how to tell if I am or not. I feel like its never going to end.
Here's how Pete Walker describes an EF:
QuoteI have come to call these reactions, typical of David and of many other clients over the
years, emotional flashbacks—sudden and often prolonged regressions ("amygdala
hijackings") to the frightening and abandoned feeling-states of childhood. They are
accompanied by inappropriate and intense arousal of the fight/flight instinct and the
sympathetic nervous system. Typically, they manifest as intense and confusing
episodes of fear, toxic shame, and/or despair, which often beget angry reactions
against the self or others.
Feeling small, helpless, and/or in danger are common in an EF. More on flashback management: http://pete-walker.com/pdf/emotionalFlashbackManagement.pdf
The actual steps to take are on the last 2 pages of that article. Let me know if this was helpful.
Anna Rae, if it's hlepful, sending you safe :hug:
Just in case reading and implementing Peter Walker's 14 steps are too much, you could try basic grounding exercises like pushing off walls, stamping your feet and patting your arms.
Thank you guys! I will do all of these things for sure. Thanks for the help and support 💖