Triggers- what are your distractions for recovery?

[white knight]

Do you suffer from triggers? What is a trigger?

For me, a trigger is a moment that panic can set in quickly. From that moment on it is a battle to overcome the fallout. Often a panic attack will accompany the shaking, the stress and for me anyhow- the overwhelming temptation to- cry.

Today it happened. My wife and I went for a drive for coffee. Lovely sunny winters day arrived at our favourite country general store café at a very small town only to see the "closed" sign. Ok, we'll go to a country house nearby where they advertise Devonshire tea. As we pulled up the thought came to me about cash. The other place took eftpos which is what we use all the time. This little place isn't likely to take cards. As the old lady approached I didn't have time to talk about it to my wife...in fact the old lay was impossible to interrupt so I could speak about the matter. On and on she talked as we walked about 50 metres to the "tea rooms" all the while not able to talk.

As we arrived at the rotunda I had to interrupt but the shakes started and I was desperate with wanting to ask my wife if she had any real money. So out it came "do you take eftpos" I asked. At that exact moment an old man called out to the old lady something about taking his dogs to a friends place. She walked towards him out of sight. So I didn't get my answer. This freaked me out more in frustration. I turned to my wife and asked her "I hope you have cash"? "Oh, she thought, "I don't think so". I had to return to the car where I found $8 in coins then returned and my wife found $5 in her purse. The old lady returned and we asked the cost of Devonshire tea and she replied "$16"- we were short $3. She was ok with that and being locals we'd make up for it when seeing her in town.

The event shook me up. The rotunda and nearby sheds had jugs as a display many of them so it was a distraction. About 20 minutes later I was 90% recovered. The overwhelming desire is to cry but being older and male it doesn't come.

Distraction is my tool for recovery. I don't think there is a better or faster remedy. Do you know of any?

Prevention is better than cure and having $50 or so on you is the preventative measure. We'll try and do that of course.

Feel free to contribute.

TonyWK

[white knight]

Hi, Paddyanne

In fact, I wished all posters would reply to these posts as this library has thousands of posts on many topics. I think I've written about 340 or so of them and it is always a pleasure to read they are being taken seriously.

Anxiety and bad memories isn't unusual given experiences such as yours. I know at the height of my anxiety in 1987 crowds and queues were my worst place also man made things. EG my friends decided to take me camping to lower my anxiety and we travelled 4 hours to a forest to a so called secluded camping spot. When we arrived the camping ground was packed with tents, it was dusk so we arrived in the dark at a lookout. Tent went up and we slept. When I woke the view was totally filled with cut down trees and pine plantations. I was so disappointed. I craved nature not man made views.

But over time I got my fears into perspective.

Google beyondblue topic want to be a hermit?

You seem to have done really well paddyanne in adapting your flat and using crosswords. My wife uses Suduku. I use this forum and tinkering. I also think up inventions. An idle mind.... there is a saying there somewhere.

I'm enjoying your replies. Now just think- how many people are reading the topic of this thread as they peruse the forum and find this topic interesting and helpful? All because you replied to it!

TonyWK

[paddyanne]

Hi Tony. Sudoku, I take my hat off to your wife. I worked with a young man who appeared to be quite the expert with Sudoku. My preference is code words. They use numbers and you have to 'marry' the numbers to the letters. Thank you for the comment re: my replies. Most of my experience stems from my work with disabled and elderly adults. Many of my clients are alone and I have learnt much from their experiences. I do have a cat, she's still basically a kitten, but she is great company. My job has taught me empathy without 'buying'. Quite a hard transition because natural instincts make you want to take their troubles away. However, I now listen and try to guide where possible. Their choice to heed or ignore.

[Guest5643]

Hi paddyanne

Im sorry to hear what you went through. Thats great youv'e found the crosswords help. You mentioned about scared feeling trapped and leaving door open. I removed my bedroom door where i am cause it made me feel safer too. Thanks for working with the disabled, there very lucky to have someone caring like you.

Cheers lynne

[Guest5643]

Hi tony.

One of my triggers is if i see a grey headed older man in a particular shade of purple shirt. I immediatly freak inside and dont feel safe. What i do find helps is immediatly imagine a clearish white bubble that is circling around me fast and the because its going fast its pushing air towards the innocent bad man and pushing him further away from me and it helps alot.

Have you created any of your invention ideas? I would love to hear about them

Cheers lynne

[white knight]

Hi Lynne,

Well, I at 12yo I invented a self flying model airplane. It had a pendulum inside it to opetaye the elevators.

At 36yo I invented the monkey bike a 40cc motorised pushbike in 1992. I didn't have the resources to develop it so a cycle dealer in Melbourne did and became a millionaire

I've just built our srcond caravan but unlike others that are 16ft long and weigh 1800kg ours weighs 830kg. Lightweight materials used. Im on caravan forums spreading my ideas and promoting using different ideas on products.

In 1998 I built my house and invented a home made plaster board lifter. I didnt realise I could have bought one ha!

I've invented tools like my own brake spring expanders, dounle wheel nut tightener/van leg lifter.

In my canI used a hatdener on polystyrene walls to eliminate wall boards thereby saving weight and developed methods to use lightweight ply for kitchen cupboards.

In the 1980"s I made cubby houses amd made a lift to deliver them off a trailer. I was unployed once do built a locomotive on a ride on mower plus two carraiges and a red caboose. It carried 19 kids plus me. I made a lot of money at shows, $38 for 15 minutes. I still had to mow the grass with the loco!

Nowadays I tinker.

So I make my own distractions.

TonyWK

[Jill_G]

Hi everyone

I havent posted in a few weeks

I just have a question. ...l was wanting to know if morning anxiety ever goes away. I still have a niggly feeling in my tummy each morning ...l find as the morning goes on it does get better. I got a bit of vertigo again a few days ago and it scared me. A year ago when l first experienced vertigo l believe it set my anxiety off and l dont wont to go back to feeling the intense sensations at the time....lve worked hard on my recovery.. Anyone else experience this.

[Jacko41]

Hi Tony. I just experienced a trigger two nights ago and it has left me a mess since. My trigger was something that is relatively trivial considering the experiences that brought me here in the first place. I’m yet to work out how to deal with it, so I’m willing to try anything. Just so long as I stop breaking down. Thanks.

[white knight]

Yes Jill,

I experience anxiety, what appears a certain unique type of minor anxiety before I have breakfast. If I delay breakfast, and this might seem very odd, I sneeze 3 times and start to shake. Yep, always 3, my wife laughs and says "you are hungry".

So there can sometimes be telltales of anxiety.

That is the only remedy I can think of however, if you google-

Beyondblue topic anxiety, how I eliminated it

you will read in the first post, Muscle Tensioning Exercises. They work great just before sleeping the night before so less chance of anxiety in the morning.

That works for me.

TonyWK.

[white knight]

Hi Jacko,

As I've said to Jill, my best recovery method has been Muscle tensioning exercises that I've been doing every night before sleeping for 30 years now.

Anxiety is usually a long term illness that will not go away in the short term so long term strategies are needed.

Your trigger can be an issue that needs professional evaluation. EG it could be brought about by childhood events or trauma.

A good example of this was 10 years ago when I was lucky enough to have a psych that kept asking me about any childhood trauma. I kept denying I had any. Then my wife reminded me about a near drowning of my brother and that I pushed him over the pool wall onto the ground. He had a seizure in the pool. I didn't speak for 3 months, not one word. But I didn't see that as unusual, just growing up. That account told my psych, that I had dysthymia as well as bipolar. Subsequently the correct medication was administered and that development made my future much better.

Yes, I am still triggered but much less often.

TonyWK

[Tiggerbow]

Hi Jacko 41,

i know exactly how you are feeling. I had a trigger last week and have been a mess ever since. I am continually crying and can’t seem to pull myself out of it. I have had a couple of GP appointments and one counselling session so far. I would encourage you to speak to someone.