Tricks for working with hypoarousal

[Dart]

Sounds like you are in hypoarousal most of the time. Been there.  Done that.  Got the t-shirt.   Google that, and also "Window of Tolerance"

Ways to raise your arousal levels:

- Good Any form of physical exercise.  Can be as light as walking.  I walk 6 miles a day. But running, swimming, skipping rope also work.  Heavier exercise (enough to get you breathing  hard) works better.  Weight lifting, chopping wood, hurling tires.  This is also a good way to burn off adrenaline if events push you toward hyper.

- Better:  Any form of exercise that also uses your brain.  I climb trees.  Rock Climbing, trampoline, parkour training, surfing, standing paddle board, trail biking, skateboard, long board would be good. kayaking, canoeing, sailing, especially in the ocean where you have to figure currents too. Active sports like soccer, hockey, basketball, water polo, squash, badminton.  Pickup games are best, little bench time. Avoid sports where you end up standing around or sitting on the bench a lot.  (I'm looking at you, Baseball)

- Best:  Any form of exercise that involves learning a new skill or pushing your present skill.

- Bester:  If it also has a scare element.

- Meditation.  Caution:  Certain kinds of meditation can slide you into dissociation.  Yoga and Tai Chi may be good forms..

- Certain breathing patterns. Find these in the same department as Meditation.


- Being outside in the sun.

- Vitamin D.  Try 2-5 thousand IU/day.  Takes a month.

- Music.  I find that music with a strong beat just a bit faster than I can comfortably
walk to helps. Songs that jerk tears from your eyes are good too.

- Learn a musical instrument.  Music teachers are cheaper than therapists.

- Cold showers.  You don't have to start cold.  In my climate I can't take full cold yet, as our well water temp is about 40 F.  The cold part doesn't have to be long.  1 minute is lots.  Enough to have a solid set of goose bumps and raise your pulse.

- Mild pain.  Rock in your shoe levels.

- Physical contact with someone you like.  Holding hands, hugs, kisses, massage, tickling, pillow fights, making love.  Snuggling with a pet counts too.  With pets, more contact is better.  Animal in lap, sharing a chair.

- Anything scary.  That's why those physical thinks like rock climbing and white water canoeing help.

- Anything that makes you feel vulnerable. These will also help with shame. If you are naturally modest, take your shirt off in a park. (It took me 10 years to be anywhere outside the bathroom barefoot. Today, I walked 6 miles on a country road at 0 C with a wind.)If it's too soon for that, try wearing daring clothes.   Bright red shirts. Out of style ties.  Thrift stores are good for this. You can start small: Neon green watch strap. Pink shoelaces in white sneakers.  Change your hair style.  Try a Mohawk.  If you have light hair, try coloured spikes.   Start conversations in grocery stores.  Be the first to say "I love you" in a relationship. (I'll try this when I have clue what "love" means)

- Anything that requires a commitment to others.  I just picked up a 4 month old puppy.

-  This sort of thing is ***really*** hard to do at first, so you probably need to get well into your WoT before it's effective.  Often even considering these activities will get your heart racing.

All of these require effort to do, will power that is hard to come by when hypo.  Give this message to a friend, and ask him to be your butt kicker.

[Kizzie]

Thanks for sharing these examples of what works for you Dart, sounds like you put a lot of time and effort into lifting up and out of hypoarousal.  It says a lot about how determined you are, but may I also say how hard part of you work to keep your trauma from surfacing by being numb?  CPTSD is a tough nut to crack that's for sure. 

I find I've had to go slowly and for want of a better word 'softly' because it's the only way I can learn to tolerate my trauma, otherwise I become overwhelmed. I guess we all have to find our own way through, glad you're finding what works for you. 

[Dart]

Eveything I've read so far says that being hypo causes numbness.  Getting out of hypo would then be key.  And since I started this 3 months ago, I've had some returning of emotions -- feeling warm compassion with the new pup, ocasionally seeing the world with a bit of wonder again.

So far my trauma is, well, underwhelming.  Enough so, that much of the time I think I'm just wasting people's time.  Then I look at the symptoms I have, the constant self deprecation, the lack of interest and ambition, the difficulty getting things done.  Parts work languishes because they are pretty quiet most of the time.  I am not really ever completely hijacked.  Most of the time I'm a best half blended.  Sometimes I've deliberately blended when I felt I need that part's strengths.

No, they are not alters.  They are parts.  Not as tightly bound as IFS full selves, but nowhere near self sufficient with full agency.

But you sound like you know something more about removing numbness.  If I'm not missreading you, please share.

[Hope67]

Eveything I've read so far says that being hypo causes numbness.  Getting out of hypo would then be key.  And since I started this 3 months ago, I've had some returning of emotions -- feeling warm compassion with the new pup, ocasionally seeing the world with a bit of wonder again.

Hi Dart,
I recognise that I experience numbness on occasions, and I appreciated what you said here.  I also think you listed many helpful ways above of things that can help.

I also just read some of your journal, and wasn't sure if you mind people writing in there or not, so I came here instead to just say that I admire how you've written about everything.  (Apologies that I seem to be losing my ability to speak coherently - sometimes I feel it dries up).

Hope