Somatic Experiencing Success?

[seamuspg]

I'm curious if anyone has had any success utilizing somatic experiencing. In principal it makes sense, but in all honesty, my symptoms seem too "severe" to find success in such a mild approach... I am trying to stay positive. My therapist downplays the FND "diagnosis", not from a "i dont believe you" standpoint...but rather from it being an umbrella term, and the dangers that come from labeling these conditions so specifically. She believes fully that we are dealing with a de-regulated nervous system and reptilian brain too activated...fight flight and freeze.

I'm struggling quite a bit these days, with a flare-up? that won't quit. I lost right leg function for a few hours last week, and just constant brain/cognitive/consciousness issues, burning twitching muscles, tinnitus, frontal lobe headache, and weird unregulated emotions..deja vu-ish.. makes it nearly impossible to move forward in life. I just try to "get through" which only adds to the stress and depression.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this approach?

[Brokendeer]

Hi I have Motor FND which basically means movement issues daily. Did all the Rehab offered and was only taught techniques on self-management and pacing for `control' of my condition.

My advice, yes it is a brain hyperactive signals overload `Flight, Freeze & Fight' where the brain loses control of priorities - think of it as your brain realising your body is not able to Run or Fight so tries to shutdown functions to go into Freeze mode, as seen as the only survival option.

However, on a daily basis we do not need to avoid a threat or danger and so the Freeze mode is interfering with what we need to do everyday. This confusion causes the body functions to go random!

The more you try and focus on moving an arm, leg or emotion, the more you overload the signals and the adrenaline levels rise, speeding up the whole confusion situation and the longer your brain will take to calm down enough to ignore the unhelpful Freeze signals.

Pacing: try and pace your body, allow small downtime breaks between physical, mental or emotional activities/tasks to allow your brain to calm the signals and re-prioritise tasks. When walking/moving about try and allow the Spine, not the Brain to go into Automatic Reflex Control i.e slower, level walking and less anxiety if possible to reach somewhere or something in a particular timescale. If you go up steps, ramps or on rough ground your Brain has to get involved with balance and coordination control to support the Automatic Spine processes, so just allow more time for those situations. Fact, a human being has to coordinate over 200 muscles just to take one step forward! Do not try and compete with `normal' paced people, you know your body best, we are all different anyway.

Guided Meditation: I have tried this, where you are supposed to tense and release various muscles, joints, limbs in sequence of set timings etc I found very unhelpful as just intensifying the focus on the limbs made them lock up all the quicker!

Neuro Physiotherapy: Some success in re-learning correct posture and techniques i.e reawaken normal circuits. But as with standard Physio, they are keen to set unobtainable goals and demand repetition of the same exercise to get consistency. My FND does not respond well to repetition of action (weakens the signals not strengthens them) and fails to maintain any consistency daily so I did get disillusioned with this `reset' training after about a year. Perhaps if I had the Neuro Physio within the optimum first 3 months of symptom onset the brain would have been more receptive and results would have been more curative?

Breathing: this is great, it activates the Vagus Nerve which controls Adrenaline/Anxiety try and do a few deep breaths before any really big activity and if you can, sing or hum gently while doing the task to oxygenate the brain and calm the body more. You cannot underestimate the effectiveness and power of a song to help convince your brain you are not facing a threat or danger - a little crazy but true. Alternatively drink some water or eat a little something, this will often reduce my `Flight, Freeze or Fight' session; because the body is not supposed to eat or drink if preparing for an adrenaline fuelled crisis!

Look for the calm in the Storm!