Hypervigilance

[within]

Las few days I had a few blackouts, dissociations and as mostly I had a lot of stress.
Now I try to reduce my hypervigilance. I got Lorazepam. But still want to do something for the time when I can't continue the medication.
What do you do to reduce nervousness, inner pressure?
What helps against hypervigilance?

[Rainagain]

Hi Within,

Feeling in control helps me a little, managing/reducing my social interactions, trying to feel safe, routine activities, focussing on something positive to keep intrusive thoughts quiet, like gardening or reading a good book, naps in the daytime help me too.

Mostly I try to distract myself with stuff that isn't going to be threatening.

Mindfulness practice is good if you can get into it.

My dogs really help to calm me too.

I'm sure others on here will have more ideas.

[RecoveryRandal]

What's worked for me in my long-term struggle against hypervigilance:

1) Therapy: a long-range solution, where a competent professional gently questions my irrational thinking.

2) Breathing: sometimes just taking deep, slow breaths in the moment, at other times doing structured breathing exercises.

3) Meditation: somatic/body-focused and mindfulness techniques work well for me. I use several of the guided meditations on Insight Timer (https://insighttimer.com/), which is free. UCLA (http://marc.ucla.edu/mindful-meditations) also offers free recorded meditation sessions.

4) Physical Activity: to burn off the anxiousness. For me this is typically yoga and/or walking, especially walking in nature.

5) Cleaning: which can give me a sense of accomplishment and control over my environment.

6) Distraction: music, movies, video games, or just silly videos online.

7) Self-Expression: talking to someone I trust, writing in a journal, or both.

I hope this helps.

Be well,
Randal

[briasmith12]

I second both Rain and Randal. LC and routine (chores, etc.) helps me immensely. I guess I don't try to stop the dissociation as much as I just try to ride it out. It's your brain's way of telling you it's tired and it can't do it anymore. You've run out of spoons.

[Rainagain]

What helps me feel safest is being in the wilds with my two dogs.

They have acute senses, I know there is nobody anywhere near me, not for miles.

I can sit and not worry about anyone being near enough to cause me harm.

It might sound weird but I savour those moments, I'm staying out longer to enjoy them but winter is coming so it will be a bit harder to do.

[Cory]

What helps me feel safest is being in the wilds with my two dogs.

I feel exactly the same way, but I only have one dog. No people for miles equals no threats and few concerns — just tranquility, relief, freedom and thoroughly enjoying the moments as they pass by.

What I find interesting is that I've known people whose big fear is being alone in the wild. They're afraid of, I don't know, bears, coyotes, snakes, getting lost, running out of water, breaking their legs and never making it back to civilization, and who knows what else. Even though I can empathize because I have my own irrational fears, it really helps put thing into perspective to know that their fears, like my own, are subjective, relative and largely irrational.

Hmmm, now that I think about it maybe I should be afraid of breaking my legs and being eaten by bears when I'm out in the wilderness. I mean it could happen. Then again, probably not.   

[Kizzie]

I remember the first time I saw a therapist and telling her as a child I felt safer outside my house in the surrounding woods than inside. That's what ongoing relational trauma does unfortunately, it makes us hypervigilant about danger from other people rather than animals, getting lost, etc. I don't remember being afraid of any of those things while I was out in the woods, just the relief of escaping my family and not having to be on guard every minute. That is a sad reality of being an abused/neglected child.

[Rainagain]

That is so sad to hear Kizzie.

I feel like an outsider in life, maybe that is literally true, I'm safer outside of society, like you were as a child.

Maybe recovery is partly finding your place in the world.

I'm still in the woods and wilds, physically and mentally. many of us are I think.