Triggers

[jwhitleyjr]

Does anyone have advice on if I can retrain my brain to not look at particular triggers as threats? I feel like I am going crazy with my over thinking. Where I attached negativity to simple home objects that are truly not threats and I have been using them for years. My mind is really playing tricks on me. I feel like my world is collapsing.

[Hidden]

What home objects? Your bed, couch, shower, an appliance?

I associated my bed for example with inability to sleep so i stopped using my bed. CBT was very helpful with something called stimulus control.

That said I think it matters the content of objects and your association with these and reassocisting them as safe, non threatening, maybe even helpful, useful, etc. I'd look up behavior modification/stimulus control as an approach to ease anxiety and retrain your association with problematic issues such as this.

[jwhitleyjr in reply to Hidden]

For example my fan in my room. I perceive the sound as disturbing and it's not. It's like I talked myself to believe the sound is an uncomfortable danger.

[jwhitleyjr in reply to jwhitleyjr]

Thank you for your advice. But I am scared I keep making things worse and I feel these triggers will eventually kill me. I am so sorry to say that.

[Hidden in reply to jwhitleyjr]

Well associate your fan with cooling, noise control from your outside environment, calming, as all these are good.

Otherwise, ditch the fan. I cannot attest to thinking something like this will kill me, but for example I thought insomnia would kill me (hense the negative problems with my bed) but it hasn’t yet.

Therapy and following a CBT program would help you immensely.

[jwhitleyjr in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Roxie. I just hope that there is hope for me where I will not be scared of everything eventually.

[Hidden in reply to jwhitleyjr]

Coping strategies don’t just come to you, you need tools and practice everyday. Think of this as being short term helpless but always remain hopeful. Helpless is resolved by doing research, reaching out for help like you are doing now. 😊

I still have insomnia, I’m scared a lot of days, but I also practice something called Acceptance Commitment Therapy which helps too.

Key: Everything takes a daily commitment, but a lot less anxiety or perhaps easier management to stop intrusion of the noise in our brains.

[jwhitleyjr in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Rosie. I just hate the damn palpitations. I feel like I am damaging my heart on a daily basis.

[Hidden in reply to jwhitleyjr]

Get your anxiety managed and these will stop. It takes Learning to refocus your thoughts, find distractions, focus on breathing exercises, even just getting up and doing something else entirely that demands your focus and attention and you’ll stop focusing on the anxiety side effects.

[jwhitleyjr in reply to Hidden]

Sounds good. Thank you so much for everything.

[jwhitleyjr in reply to jwhitleyjr]

I am so so sorry. But do you feel the fan fear is kind of silly? I have had this fan for 7 years. I just feel like I am sabotaging myself with ridiculous thoughts. It is not a chain saw.

[jwhitleyjr in reply to Hidden]

Plus Rosie I will pray for you and your situation. I am so sorry.

[hvacboy]

There is an app called Fear Tools which is pretty good as when the thoughts come up, you can write them down and pick alternative thoughts and also challenge your thoughts...

[jwhitleyjr in reply to hvacboy]

Thank you. I mean this is becoming ridiculous. I have for seven years. Now I think the sound is a dangerous threat. This anxiety has caused me to become a bit crazy.

[hvacboy in reply to jwhitleyjr]

You need to retrain your brain and keep telling yourself over and over and over that "this is not going to hurt me or kill me", it's only whatever. You need to keep challenging it and it will be tiring but eventually you will when. Also, keep a journal so you can keep track of your thoughts as well and this way you can look back over the last week and see that whatever it was did not hurt you, etc....It's a daily battle and some days are better than others. Hang in there.