[Partless]

With my last T, one of the things she mentioned was that talk and meds was not enough. Because I often feel anxiety/panic, depression, and PTSD reactions inside my body as well. She suggested body treatments but I rarely paid any attention. The only thing I remember is massage (which I did not go for cause it was not covered and quite expensive for me at the time, given that I had to get it regularly, like two/three times a week, to see any real result).

Another reason was that focusing on my body made me way more anxious and I tensed up. Like I did very basic yoga at home (following instructions in a book) and hurt my neck.

But at the same time I can't deny that body discomfort is big part of my problem and won't just go away. For instance once I get triggered (PTSD), it's hard to "come down." I sometimes remain tense for several days after, so it messes up my sleep schedule, and makes every task exhausting (tense up your body all over and then take a step forward...now imagine doing that every time...). So because of body discomfort I avoid most things, and then avoid more things for fear of getting triggered, which makes me further depressed and anxious. This is a vicious cycle.

So I was wondering if people can share with me their knowledge of body therapies they've tried and if they've been helpful. Thank you.

[ThisWayOut]

I had done massage, and still try to if I can but that's rare. I found it helpful in relieving stress At time, but triggering at others.
If focusing on your body is so stressful, is there anything you can to to try to relax around that? I know for myself, focusing on my body causes a whole bunch of anxiety and had a similar reaction of tensing up as a result. I have had progressive muscle relaxation recommended to me, but even that goes haywire sometimes (I can't seem to get my muscles to relax after tensing them, and tensing certain groups triggers flashbacks).
Sorry I don't have much by way of positive experience or advice. I guess I'm realizing a relate quite a bit tough...

[pmbm]

I go to acupuncture and healing touch with a massage therapist. I also have taken up boxing, with a punching bag. And I belong to an indoor pool where I swim a lot and sit in a hot tub. All body stuff suggested by my therapist to meet different needs. In my city, there is a float tank place and she suggested that also.

[Petra5ed]

I don't know that I have any great advice, but massage 2-3 times a week seems like major overkill to me. Is that what your therapist recommended? I've heard of going every other week, or twice a month. Maybe you could try going less frequently and see if there's a benefit.

[stopdog]

The therapist did not suggest these, but I do qigong breathing, get massages, have done reiki and cranial sacral energy work. With the S/C energy work, it is a little out there and gets scoffed at, but it is the thing that helped me with fear after a motorcycle accident - much more than the therapist did.

I have done acupuncture and was okay with it, but massage stresses me out. I don't like those people touching me. The acupuncturist was fine, though. I'm not sure it helped a whole lot other than it was relaxing to a point.

[scallion5]

I have a regular yoga practice that helps me a lot. It helps me get grounded and feel back in my body. Finding a teacher that I felt comfortable with was important, some say things that are a little too "out there" - but I find it very helpful. i would recommend trying to find a teacher to walk you through the poses - its easy to get injured if the alignment is a bit off. a lot of books start off a bit further along than the average beginner (who isn't young, fit, and limber) would benefit from. I am doing a yoga teacher training right now I love it so much! So, its not for everyone, but a teacher who can watch your alignment and talk you through the poses can help. Also, sometimes the best poses are ones where you just relax, rather than try to stretch. You might google "restorative yoga" or PM me if you want some more resources.

Yoga actually helped me feel more comfortable with my body, enough to try a massage. I was very scared to get massage...but I found someone with very good ratings and came highly recommended and I felt very good about it once I relaxed. Some massage therapists understand trauma, if that's an issue for you. And i think many are familiar with anxiety/depression.

FWIW, most eastern medicine doesn't separate the mind from the body in the way western medicine does, so treatment for your brain/mind/spirit wouldn't necessarily need to be targeted in your mind (just talking)...so, massage is pretty intense (don't think I could do it more than every other week - if I could afford that, which I can't!) but it can help with tension/relaxation.

i have also tried reiki. the good thing about reiki is that you don't even need to be touched or remove any clothes, so if that sounds stressful reiki might be a good option. reiki activates a universal life force/healing energy which the universe has opened up to all of us. in an intentional way, a reiki practitioner helps your own healing energy to wake up and 'flow' to where you need it. honestly, i scoffed at first because it sounds like a scam - but if you can open up to your own subjective experience during the session - many people report relaxation. some reiki practitioners use light touch.

(personally, i think it has something to do with it being two people trying to help the one person through body/attunement. if the reiki practitioner stays calm, the receiver can attune to his/her nervous system and receive a relaxation response. that's my own personal theory.)

i am interested in somatic experiencing, so would be curious if anyone who has tried that could post.

I have never tried acupuncture - can't stand the idea of needles.

My T didn't recommend these, but I knew I was very afraid of my own body and very spaced out/tense and I have a tendency toward internalizing emotions as illnesses/pain. I also feel my emotions "physically" and don't have words for them. Tightness in chest, throat, gut issues, pain... So, I kind of set out on the journey on my own. I've met a lot of people who are trying to heal from stress or disease or emotional exhaustion along the way - and its been good for me. What I take from my experiences is that my life experience and my mind aren't 'separate' from my body. We receive information from our senses. Our "emotions" are activated via neurotransmitters and hormones that are governed by our endocrine and nervous systems. Our brain and nervous system are our body - and we experience this in our consciousness/mind - but it's really not two separate things.

So, for me, its about being aware of my body - putting it under a little stress or just noticing it - and learning how to calm down during it, experience what it has to tell me, and kind of work through it. ...Not easy...but I've been able to do this easier by approaching it at physical level than a mental level. Then, I take that physical experience and put it into words - and sometimes in doing that i reach new levels of awareness...and can help to verbalize rather than somatize...if that makes any sense...again, just my experience.

I wish you the best and hope, if you go down this path, you find modalities that suit you. Again, feel free to PM me if you'd like some links or book recommendations.

[stopdog]

I also use acupuncture but not for mental things - I use it for physical ailments instead of western medicine.

[rainbow8]

My T is a certified somatic experiencing practitioner so we do body work during each session. In my particular case, what works for me is holding her hand, but I know there are different kinds of touch used in SE. She always pays attention to, and asks where in my body I feel things. If I'm holding my breath or fidgeting, she comments on it. She has me close my eyes and "find my place of landing."

Scallion, you asked about somatic experiencing. I'll be glad to tell you or anyone more about it. Just send me a PM.

She has recommended massage and yoga. I love my yoga class because it's for seniors so we spend more time on breathing and meditation than on difficult poses. It helps me a lot. I've had two massages in my life and I'm not sure I like them. It hurt rather than soothed me although I said to be gentle.

[Partless]

Thanks guys, I'm reading through the replies and looking up some of the particulars mentioned. Scallion5, thanks for that detailed post, appreciate it. Petra5ed, yeah she recommended massage of two to three times per week. You're right, it's kind of an overkill but in her defense, I complained a lot about bodily symptoms, I was sleeping the day instead of night, and from time to time in her office would feel different body parts go numb. She felt the bodily symptoms had to be addressed in a more powerful and consistent way than my irregular and infrequent introductory self-taught yoga which was actually making things worse for me. I guess with massage I had less chance of screwing things up cause somebody else was manipulating my body.

[Virginia1991]

My t did not suggest it but I did my own homework on it. I chose reiki and it has been one of the most healing things I have ever done. I found someone I could trust, an older maternal woman whose nurturing meets many of my unmet needs. Reiki can be hands on or hands off. I chose hands on. It helps me with my "touch issues" and reiki also lessens my PTSD symptoms. My relationship with her has also been healing. My mom did not touch us and we couldn't touch her so I have never known how to get those maternal cravings of touch met. This has been the closest thing I have found. She does cranial sacral therapy on me too. You can watch many types of bodywork sessions on YouTube. Check it out and see what looks good to you. That is what I did. Then I researched websites in my area.

[Teepee]

I made myself some weighted blankets

Sensory Calm's Chain Weighted Blanket Washable High quality

Above is a website to give you an idea of what they are I lay on my stomach on the ground under mine with an audiobook on, sometimes I will have some relaxing oils burning.

Hope this helps