I do cognitively understand. I really do get what it is and why it helps. Question, I may have asked this before. The two main things I’m dealing with are dizziness and DPDR. I do lots of things on the weekend no matter how I’m feeling. On week days without my job(that I loved) or my car (that was sold since I no longer have said job) I’m trapped at home, partly because since I’m not working I was nominated to babysit my 4 year old grandson. I live him but watching him causes a lot of anxiety, which leads to stronger symptoms. When I feel extra dizzy and extra tired from lack of sleep I use ice packs to keep myself “awake” and from the feeling of passing out. ERP would look like just not using the ice, right? Also, cause I’m so scared of it, will it take me longer to learn the lesson and be able to let go? I’ve been working at it and I’m still stuck…
Eliminating the ice packs would be the RP part for sure. Also, odds are there are quite a few other little baked in rituals you perform when you feel "dizzy" or experience derealization. It is rare that someone in this position is entirely relaxed and non-reactive all the time except for one situation with one safety ritual. How much time do you spend talking to yourself to convince yourself that you are OK? How much time to you spend tensed up and braced against the sensations? Those are also examples of responses you'd be looking at.
Your insight is always so spot on and your answers to my questions so valuable. I am so thankful for everything you do. You are so right I probably spend 80% of my day fighting the dizziness and DR trying to will it away. I’m focused and concerned about it so much that I have an appointment today with my PCP. “Let’s just check ONE last time that nothing else is wrong”. I see that now as a bad move and another ritual I use when I feel like I can’t cope anymore. Darn it, I shouldn’t have made the appointment, I can see now I just told my brain we can’t cope with these symptoms….
Oh now I get it 😂 like a light bulb went off lol i would take water with me or chew gum to distract me while driving and man it was helping for a short period of time till I stopped when u noticed I was over buying gum and sour candies lol so while I do my exposure’s I don’t take anything with me I haven’t chewed gum in months lol never cared for it in the beginning lol the only thing that I use as a safety trick is taking calming gummies which is a vitamin l-theanine before anything I have to do outside the house I need to stop that and experience it all in without that
I do cognitively understand. I really do get what it is and why it helps. Question, I may have asked this before. The two main things I’m dealing with are dizziness and DPDR. I do lots of things on the weekend no matter how I’m feeling. On week days without my job(that I loved) or my car (that was sold since I no longer have said job) I’m trapped at home, partly because since I’m not working I was nominated to babysit my 4 year old grandson. I live him but watching him causes a lot of anxiety, which leads to stronger symptoms. When I feel extra dizzy and extra tired from lack of sleep I use ice packs to keep myself “awake” and from the feeling of passing out. ERP would look like just not using the ice, right? Also, cause I’m so scared of it, will it take me longer to learn the lesson and be able to let go? I’ve been working at it and I’m still stuck…
Eliminating the ice packs would be the RP part for sure. Also, odds are there are quite a few other little baked in rituals you perform when you feel "dizzy" or experience derealization. It is rare that someone in this position is entirely relaxed and non-reactive all the time except for one situation with one safety ritual. How much time do you spend talking to yourself to convince yourself that you are OK? How much time to you spend tensed up and braced against the sensations? Those are also examples of responses you'd be looking at.
Your insight is always so spot on and your answers to my questions so valuable. I am so thankful for everything you do. You are so right I probably spend 80% of my day fighting the dizziness and DR trying to will it away. I’m focused and concerned about it so much that I have an appointment today with my PCP. “Let’s just check ONE last time that nothing else is wrong”. I see that now as a bad move and another ritual I use when I feel like I can’t cope anymore. Darn it, I shouldn’t have made the appointment, I can see now I just told my brain we can’t cope with these symptoms….
Oh now I get it 😂 like a light bulb went off lol i would take water with me or chew gum to distract me while driving and man it was helping for a short period of time till I stopped when u noticed I was over buying gum and sour candies lol so while I do my exposure’s I don’t take anything with me I haven’t chewed gum in months lol never cared for it in the beginning lol the only thing that I use as a safety trick is taking calming gummies which is a vitamin l-theanine before anything I have to do outside the house I need to stop that and experience it all in without that
Skip the gummies. You're giving them credit for keeping you OK, but YOU get the credit for that. You have to do it, and you can.