Hello "Friend" won't you come in for tea...

 It usually begins with knee and foot shaking, rocking back and forth, shortness of breath, the feeling like there is a weight on my chest choking out my breath, feelings of being completely overwhelmed, trapped, unable to function, sweat on the back of my neck, and finally tears accompanied by some wailing at times.

Welcome to my new friend PTSD anxiety attacks. 

Every time my "friend" comes to visit I pull out my favorite hacks. 

Just like having a friend over for tea, I set the table with a self-hug (place your right hand in your left armpit and place your left hand on your shoulder) sometimes rocking back and forth and telling yourself that it is ok you are safe and going to be ok.  

Next, I boil some water with the Six step Somatic exercise;

1.  Notice - Inhale exhale. Notice what you feel on, in, and around your body. Speed of breath, heart rate, and body temperature. 

2. Think back to safety - Think back to a recent moment you felt most calm, safe, and most like your "self"

3. Identify - Identity at what point in time and/or which part of your body began experiencing disturbance or stress. 

4. Replay - Replay the scenario from a calm state to a stressed state, in slow motion. Identify people, conversations, objects, or behaviors that may have made you stressed, or uncomfortable, or that stand out to you as you're replaying the recent events 

5. Tune In - Tune in to your body sensations as you recall the events and slow down and notice if there is any shift in your body, a sensation of tingling, tensing, warming, numbing, or cooling in your chest, arms, legs, face or an overall change in body temperature. 

6. Healing hands - Place your hand on the area that has experienced a shift or change, and breathe deeply. If it's an overall feeling, you can simply place your hands on your heart. This creates a passageway to release tension. Be aware of what comes up an image, sensation, awareness, or understanding that offers clarity to the situation. If nothing comes up it's ok simply slowing down, pacing your breath, and raising awareness is progress. 

Following that, add the tea and cookies to the table by using  Tapping Techniques just follow this link for a short tutorial on what this looks like. There are lots of useful YouTube clips and different tapping techniques you can look up for yourself. 

Lastly, express gratitude for your "friend" coming over for tea and being there for you when you need to reconnect with yourself and invite the "friend" to leave so that you can have some time to pray and meditate. 

I am so grateful to my therapist for giving me these tools that work most of the time and I am grateful for medicine that helps keep this friend from coming over to tea all day every day. 

If you are struggling please don't forget you are not alone reach out to family, friends, church members, or healthcare professionals there is help and you are worth it.

xoxoxo

Barbara

HELPLESSNESS....

Helplessness:

unable to help oneself; weak or dependent; deprived of strength or power; powerless, incapacitated.

It is often that I truly feel helpless, but I did this last week. We had just finished up Family Home Evening when we saw one of Grandpa's trucks pull up in the driveway. Oh, good I thought we can share our treat with them.....When my mother came bursting in through the door yelling that the house was on fire....We looked at her we looked at each other and then started to move.....One of my favorite things is that one of the kids yelled should we put out our fire(meaning the fire we had in the fireplace) 😆 .....we got down to their house....and there it was the feeling of complete helplessness.....there was nothing to be done but to stand there and make phone calls.....Ryan my son suggested that I call my sisters that live in the states but I said to him "What is the point, there is nothing they can do!".......But then my darling neighbor who was there crying and comforting us....Said something that stopped me in my tracks, "They could pray," and suddenly the dark and looming fire and the helplessness dissipated.