[Callmebj]

Have you ever been a perfectly normal adult and suddenly felt psychologically like a 3 year old helpless child. This has happened to me mostly when I get
stressed and even when applying for a job. It can be very much like you
had all the years pass away and your suddenly debilitatated, not physically but emotionally. Stress is a definite trigger for me. Strange and frightening, sometimes it's lasted for several hours and several days. I have had
panic attacks, but this is not like that.

I feel that I am a mature person, with a lot of experience behind me.
Intelligent, self reliant, and responsible for most of the time...but this is a little trap with teeth that bites me now and then.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by Callmebj

Have you ever been a perfectly normal adult and suddenly felt psychologically like a 3 year old helpless child. This has happened to me mostly when I get
stressed and even when applying for a job. It can be very much like you
had all the years pass away and your suddenly debilitatated, not physically but emotionally. Stress is a definite trigger for me. Strange and frightening, sometimes it's lasted for several hours and several days. I have had
panic attacks, but this is not like that.

I feel that I am a mature person, with a lot of experience behind me.
Intelligent, self reliant, and responsible for most of the time...but this is a little trap with teeth that bites me now and then.

here in NY state what you wrote about is called - being in touch with your inner child.

in the psychology field here in NY it is believed that everyone goes through events where they will suddenly feel like a child they once were. that feeling has been named "the child within" or "the inner child"

there is even a therapy named after this where treatment providers will have their clients who have been abused, close their eyes, imagine their self as a child they used to be, then imagine "rescuing" "holding" "comforting" talking to that child with in that you used to be.

my suggestion contact your treatment providers. they can teach you things like using relaxation, EMDR (some places call it EDMR), self nurturing, stress relief and other ways to control your triggers and how to control and access your child within on your terms not according to your stress and triggers.

[Callmebj]

amanda, thank you very much for this informative answer. I will try this and likely have more T. to handle it successfully. This has haunted me for many, many years now, and it's time I get as whole as possible. Thanks BJ

[DrFrank]

Isn't it likely that " this is a little trap with teeth that bites me now and then" is self-induced by insecurity thoughts and memories of past embarrassing events in your life?

[Callmebj]

DrFrank, thank you for your response. Yes, to some degree, but overtly self-induced,
not likely. Embarassing events, no; more likely childhood and young adult trauma.