[JaneC]

To help with breaking or changing a 'freeze' response in therapy.

My response to trauma in the past was to freeze. And when talking about my past or memories of it, including feelings, in therapy currently or triggered just day to day I also tend to freeze. This causes all sorts of stress for me, as I can't easily get rid of the body sensations or tension and associated crap that comes after.

I'd really appreciate hearing if anyone has found a technique that you have learned in T, or a particular type of therapy that has helped to break or change that freeze response...and the feelings afterwards?

I have so much shame attached to my past inability to DO anything when the bad stuff was happening in the past......I seem to now feel all that shame also on top of freezing up now. Ugh!

We are slowly working on it, my T and I.....just beginning finally to be able form a concrete plan for jumping into, or dipping my toe in to, trauma work(only 18 months after starting). Sigh. So other ideas would be appreciated.

[sweepy62]

I know how you feel Jane, I also freeze clam up, feel like I will explode, my t and I broke the whole procedure down into many steps. We have not really started yet, just a toe in the water, but she guides me through stuff, I draw, she has drawing stuff in her office so scribbling while talking helps me.

I also walk around the office looking at stuff on her shelves while I talk.

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[JaneC]

I just can't even seem to move when I am in the office, even to open or close the window if I need it done. (I feel closed in if everything is shut!)

I asked my T if we could go for a walk, he said he would be open to it eventhough it would be outside his comfort zone. He often says, "what ever you need if it helps". He is very kind. I still can't get myself to ask properly or do it.......

I am writing a plan right now...of what we agreed to try today. (Lets not call it homework though lol)

[someone321]

I'm sorry that you are struggling so much with this... I did freeze "then" and I do freeze now...

I'm not sure if it's this what you mean but...
Till now I only know what to do in order to not freeze when I expect something, e.g. I know that I will be talking about xxx at the session and that T might ask about yyy etc. so then I think how I would like to react and then imagine myself reacting like that and seeing how I feel with this image. If it looks manageable, I think about it more and then usually during the session I am able to behave like that because this is what I've already done many times in my head... If it is not manageable, I look for a compromise... When it still happens during the session, I've learned to be able to say "sorry, I'm not listening to you anymore", if I cannot say even this, I'm rolling my eyes or look intensively in the door direction... Usually my T asks then what is in my head but usually I respond then that I don't know, it's empty...

I also wouldn't be able to walk or play with something, open the window etc. as more stressed I am then more calm I am, I sit in one spot, try to look very neutral and do not move at all...

[ThisWayOut]

I'm sorry you are struggling with this. I, too, can relate. So far it has helped me keep from freezing up (or move easier) if I am already fidgeting with something or coloring/drawing. I may pause at an uncomfortable point, but it's a bit easier for me to get lost in the action I was doing before if I had already had that momentum. I take a coloring book in with me a lot of the time, or my sketch book. With old t, it was a bit easier to spontaneously pick it up, or she would prompt me to pick it up before we began. It's infinitely harder for me to move to pick it up after the freeze response. I noticed this last week when I had not been coloring in the moment that new t and I broached a really difficult topic. I froze and drifted away. New t asked if coloring would help, but I couldn't move to start. (I hadn't really put this together till now, so thanks for having me think about it!).
Walking sounds like a good idea because you will already be moving, so it would stand to reason that the freeze response would be either harder to attain, or easier to move through. I'm glad you t is still to step out if his comfort zone to help you best deal with things. He sounds really cool. (Hugs)

[coolibrarian]

Breathe. Don't tense up. Breathe.

[archipelago]

I have multiple traumatic experiences where I froze or where I was physically immobilized. It is a very difficult thing to address. Recently I focused almost exclusively on this issue. One thing I did, which tends to help me, is I learned more about it. I read research and learned it is called "tonic immobility" and has been studied extensively in animals but not much in humans. Knowing it has a name, is almost completely physiological and involuntary, and also a survival strategy helped me see it in a different way. I was able just through this understanding to let go of blaming myself for not doing more or continuing to respond that way when triggered.

Then in therapy we labeled it and named it "immobility" as if it were separate from me. And I wrote out its history and effects to go over that in therapy.

I agreed that taking a step toward what is sometimes called "exposure" might be worth it. I went over several different experiences in lots of detail, sometimes painful, but ultimately relieving. The outcome was more than I expected because even traumatic events that we did not go into felt like they were no longer easily triggered.

Finally since some of this kind of thing might be related to dissociation, we taped what is called a "de-induction," what happens to pull you out of a hypnotic trance, which has been shown to be associated with dissociation. The tape included me doing lots of fun active things so that I could play it when I felt frozen.

I don't know if any of this would appeal to you or be helpful. It is just that I am so close to addressing this exact issue that I thought I would describe what I did.

[BlessedRhiannon]

Couple of things that seem to help me -
1. I fidget with something constantly; jewelry (rings, mostly), my Tangle, or a stress ball. If I don't have any of those, even just clicking a pen will work. That way, I'm already kinda in motion and I can concentrate on that motion when I feel like I'm going to freeze
2. Remember to take deep breaths and when I start to notice my breathing getting shallow or rapid, I will hold up my hand or close my eyes and just take a moment to concentrate on breathing
3. I mentally tell myself "This is a safe place, T is safe, you're not there now." I've even said out loud "Different time, different place, this is a safe place." Sometimes, I'll repeat the date or my age or something to remind myself of where and when I am.

[JaneC]

Thank you all!!

Someone.....I am not very good with visualisation exercises, although I see the benefit of pre imagining how I may like something to go would be useful, I tend very quickly to insert negative things into my 'imaginings".

ThisWayOut...I relate to the drift away, I definitely dissociate to different degrees and I call it "when I'm out there"which is often up in the sky or trees. I suggested to T that I do some colouring of mandalas to help, we'll see what he thinks.

archipelago.....thanks for that! I too place great value in learning about things, and also around the specific language that we use to name things in my therapy. I react strongly to certain words. I'm going to check out what de-induction is. I'm not sure if I understand exactly what you mean by the things you have recorded. My T has mentioned recording of sessions and prolonged exposure for some things also. I like that he is open to many techniques.

blessedrhiannon.....thanks also! I am a fidgeter too! I also use the stating of facts around where I am when totally triggered, we call it "My list of facts"....name, age, where I live, something important to me, where I am etc. It helps.

I am glad to hear that I am not the only one who struggles with this. I guess I never thought I was unique, I knew others would, but was curious how others may cope. Seems like there is no one way, nor any instant fix...also not expected but hoped for!

I'd love to hear any other ideas....these are all so helpful. Thanks again

[pmbm]

This is probably going to sound a little ridiculous but after animals have the freeze response, when they are out of danger, they often shake themselves off/prance around. I have found that keeping myself in motion helps to prevent that freeze response...or makes it more manageable. I take off my shoes and rub my bare feet on the carpet or I have a stress toy that I constantly manipulate when I am talking or trying to talk. I also get up and walk around, but that tends to cause another problem of me hiding in a corner. I hate that. I feel so stupid and little kid like when I get stuck in corners.

[ThisWayOut]

Originally Posted by pmbm

This is probably going to sound a little ridiculous but after animals have the freeze response, when they are out of danger, they often shake themselves off/prance around. I have found that keeping myself in motion helps to prevent that freeze response...or makes it more manageable. I take off my shoes and rub my bare feet on the carpet or I have a stress toy that I constantly manipulate when I am talking or trying to talk. I also get up and walk around, but that tends to cause another problem of me hiding in a corner. I hate that. I feel so stupid and little kid like when I get stuck in corners.

I hide in corners too, but only when super-stressed and feeling very threateded. Other times the freeze response takes over before I can go hide...