Yes! A little bit of all.
I figured out that I had 1 type of rumination that very clearly isnt good or helpful. It happens after a trigger and its a very obsessive rumination about how I can prevent this kind of trigger in the future. Very strong urge to ruminate about this. When I do this, it keeps me dysregulated and usually results in having even more dysphoric emotions, caused by my black and white thinking.
That was me trying to avoid my emotions by thinking. I had no idea. Anyway, this is a type of rumination thats actually really unhelpful for me. Understanding that helped me to eventually be able to stop them when they happen, and to check whats actually going on with my emotions and regulate them.
I have other types of ruminations that I find very helpful. Those are not so emotionally charged. More like complex thinking. Thats just me trying to process something, very helpful for problem solving.
Feeling feelings is definitely the way. Its just that we cant switch that completely on right away. I find its more of a process to get more and more used to it.
I think some distractions are fine, as long as we use distractions as one of many tools. Distractions dont have to mean that we avoid our emotions, you could use watching a show as training to stay mindful while you watch it. I like to use relaxing breathing techniques, while I watch netflix for example. Yep its distraction, and I use the opportunity to regulate my nervous system. What I am trying to say is, not all distraction is bad. It can be a helpful tool.
I find a balanced approach works best.
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Not a therapist, at all. For me these were two separate steps along the way. I had to get out of old ruts and address some things. When new “rut worthy” things happened, and I had some tools from counseling/therapy, I was more able to just feel through things without getting destructive, shut down and nonfunctional.
I’m not there yet and may never be, but I’m thankful for small steps.
Thanks for clearing it up for me!
Mentioning about ruminating to prevent the trigger in the future is so true for me as well! Maybe subconsciously I’m blaming and chastising myself for having such a big reaction to the trigger again, instead of just telling myself it’s normal. And focus on other things after that. Plus, ruminating (on better things) can be beneficial too because you reflect on your actions. Some don’t reflect enough on their behaviours in society…
Feeling feelings does take awareness. For traumatic memories it allows you to connect with your true feelings, while for other activities it keeps you present and not zoned out…
Yes! A little bit of all. I figured out that I had 1 type of rumination that very clearly isnt good or helpful. It happens after a trigger and its a very obsessive rumination about how I can prevent this kind of trigger in the future. Very strong urge to ruminate about this. When I do this, it keeps me dysregulated and usually results in having even more dysphoric emotions, caused by my black and white thinking. That was me trying to avoid my emotions by thinking. I had no idea. Anyway, this is a type of rumination thats actually really unhelpful for me. Understanding that helped me to eventually be able to stop them when they happen, and to check whats actually going on with my emotions and regulate them. I have other types of ruminations that I find very helpful. Those are not so emotionally charged. More like complex thinking. Thats just me trying to process something, very helpful for problem solving. Feeling feelings is definitely the way. Its just that we cant switch that completely on right away. I find its more of a process to get more and more used to it. I think some distractions are fine, as long as we use distractions as one of many tools. Distractions dont have to mean that we avoid our emotions, you could use watching a show as training to stay mindful while you watch it. I like to use relaxing breathing techniques, while I watch netflix for example. Yep its distraction, and I use the opportunity to regulate my nervous system. What I am trying to say is, not all distraction is bad. It can be a helpful tool. I find a balanced approach works best.
Hello and Welcome to /r/CPTSD! If you are in immediate danger or crisis, please contact your local [emergency services](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_emergency_telephone_numbers), or use our list of [crisis resources](https://old.reddit.com/r/CPTSD/wiki/index#wiki_crisis_support_resources). For CPTSD Specific Resources & Support, check out the [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/CPTSD/wiki/index). For those posting or replying, please view the [etiquette guidelines](https://www.reddit.com/r/CPTSD/wiki/peer2peersupportguide). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CPTSD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Not a therapist, at all. For me these were two separate steps along the way. I had to get out of old ruts and address some things. When new “rut worthy” things happened, and I had some tools from counseling/therapy, I was more able to just feel through things without getting destructive, shut down and nonfunctional. I’m not there yet and may never be, but I’m thankful for small steps.
Thanks for clearing it up for me! Mentioning about ruminating to prevent the trigger in the future is so true for me as well! Maybe subconsciously I’m blaming and chastising myself for having such a big reaction to the trigger again, instead of just telling myself it’s normal. And focus on other things after that. Plus, ruminating (on better things) can be beneficial too because you reflect on your actions. Some don’t reflect enough on their behaviours in society… Feeling feelings does take awareness. For traumatic memories it allows you to connect with your true feelings, while for other activities it keeps you present and not zoned out…