Home Menu

Menu



advertisement
Reply
Thread Tools Display Modes
LittleEarthquakes
Grand Member
 
LittleEarthquakes's Avatar
 
Member Since Jan 2015
Location: USA
Posts: 771
9
111 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Jul 25, 2017 at 07:00 AM
  #1
My therapist tells me the reason why I can't go to the grocery store (or out in public except routine stuff like work, bank) is because I have thoughts in my head that I am unsafe, that I should just go home, that I can't be alone.

But even when I tell myself that I am safe, I need to just get what I came here for, nobody is judging me... I still have the feeling. The feeling that I am disconnected from my body, and this world - that I am unable to function in it the way many people are. This floaty prickly uncomfortable feeling.

Maybe the thoughts are involved in this somewhere but to flat out say that my feelings are caused by these thoughts, I feel like is just oversimplifying it, it's more like a circle isn't it? It started in childhood and now it's just some destructive circle I'm trapped in.

What do you think?
LittleEarthquakes is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote

advertisement
TishaBuv
Legendary
 
Member Since Dec 2014
Location: USA
Posts: 10,258 (SuperPoster!)
9
1,879 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Jul 25, 2017 at 07:25 AM
  #2
That's the CBT theory. It's that simple: the thoughts in your head are controlling your emotions. Think about what you are thinking when you are feeling anxious and try to counter those negative thoughts with logical ones.

Why are you able to go to work and the bank? Because you have to. So you forced yourself to stop those thoughts enough to let you do what you absolutely have to do.

I'm no better at controlling the thoughts that trigger me to have total anxiety attacks. I get it and feel for you.

__________________
"And don't say it hasn't been a little slice of heaven, 'cause it hasn't!"
. About Me--T
TishaBuv is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
Anonymous47875
 
Thanks for this!
LittleEarthquakes
LittleEarthquakes
Grand Member
 
LittleEarthquakes's Avatar
 
Member Since Jan 2015
Location: USA
Posts: 771
9
111 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Jul 25, 2017 at 12:16 PM
  #3
So that's all it is? Then how come when I think different thoughts, or when I'm not even thinking anything, I feel the same way.
LittleEarthquakes is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
Trippin2.0
Legendary
 
Trippin2.0's Avatar
 
Member Since May 2010
Location: Cape Town South Africa
Posts: 11,937 (SuperPoster!)
14
600 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Jul 25, 2017 at 01:12 PM
  #4
Because there's a step missing.

Beliefs.

Thoughts are tied to beliefs, which prompt a feeling.

Just because you tell yourself you're safe doesn't mean you actually believe it, so in turn your feelings don't change.

Which is why we have to practice and do these exercises over and over until our brains actually buy into the new thoughts and believe them. At least partially.
Trippin2.0 is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
Anonymous47875
Daisy Dead Petals
Member
 
Daisy Dead Petals's Avatar
 
Member Since Dec 2015
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 95
8
95 hugs
given
Default Jul 26, 2017 at 10:31 PM
  #5
I can relate. I've always hated CBT because it doesn't address the gap between knowing and believing or feeling.

I remember reading a post here where someone asked their therapist why they didn't feel safe if intellectually they knew that they were safe. The person's T said it was because they hadn't experienced safety at the level of the body and unconscious mind.

I am doing brainspotting with my T to try to learn to feel safe. EMDR, somatic experiencing, and/or other body focused modalities might help you know feelings of safety better than CBT.
Daisy Dead Petals is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
Reply
attentionThis is an old thread. You probably should not post your reply to it, as the original poster is unlikely to see it.




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:06 PM.
Powered by vBulletin® — Copyright © 2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.



 

My Support Forums

My Support Forums is the online community that was originally begun as the Psych Central Forums in 2001. It now runs as an independent self-help support group community for mental health, personality, and psychological issues and is overseen by a group of dedicated, caring volunteers from around the world.

 

Helplines and Lifelines

The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider.

Always consult your doctor or mental health professional before trying anything you read here.