This weekend something happened that triggered me massively. I was in a state of panic fight or flight and just wanted to drink. Instead I went into the shed (the shed where I used to sneak drinks) and I breathed. I sat with my panic. I tried to remember the RAIN acronym (Recognise, allow, investigate, non-identify) but I couldn’t get past ‘allow’, I couldn’t remember past the word ‘allow’ because my prefrontal cortex was on holiday somewhere while my reptile brain was rearing to go.
I sat in the shed for a good 20 minutes and you know what? The feeling didn’t swallow me up and it did pass.
Still sober. Yay for me!. xxx
Yay!! Hurrahforcoffee, I’m so proud of you! It’s a scary feeling, eh? It’s hard to get used to dealing with those types of feelings where our minds are screaming at us for a drink, and figuring out what to do instead. But look at you – you did great! 🙂
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Well done you! “staying with the feelings” as my T puts it, is soooooooooooooo hard. Well done!! xx
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Thanks:) xxx
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That’s wonderful. You can do this! I love reading about fellow-strugglers overcoming something hard. Keep going.
Jenn
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Thanks Jenn. xxx
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Thanks for sharing. I’m glad you pulled through
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Me too, sometimes I get so overwhelmed I seriously think my head is going to explode.
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Me too. I just drop everything and go lay down
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Well done you – so great to hear you are navigating around those stressful episodes xxx
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Yes one stressful episode at a time:) I am a woman baby with no emotional intelligence so have to learn how to give myself a ‘time out’
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haha good analogy! x
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Ha. I was just telling my daughter about the Sound of Music yesterday and here is your image today. Good on you for sitting with it. I find that to be so tough. Ive been baking through the tough crap lately- in fact Ill be turning up to my meeting today with a giant batch of cookies we just finished baking. Perhaps I need a shed to sit in too.
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Sheds are where it’s at! xxx
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That’s huge. Allow is a hard one.
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It is hard, actually remembering to ‘allow’ is even harder:)
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I know it is scary dealing with all these emotions sober. I have had a few very uncomfortable ones that make me want to crawl out of my skin or crawl into a bottle of wine…
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Yay! I’m glad you made it through (even if you could only get through a few steps). It’s so terrifying when the triggers are that strong and emotions are so heavy. You did it! ❤
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Thank you, I’m so bloody chuffed:) now it’s just practice!!!!
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You will have to explain “chuffed” (is it like practiced or is it proud?).
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Oh… it means very pleased:)
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Thank you, I was close… You should be chuffed! Well deserved ❤
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Panic attacks are awful. I was in a shop last week when panic overwhelmed me out of nowhere. I started thinking negatively, telling myself I was going to pass out or something but I just kept walking, looking at things on the shelf and talking to myself in a soothing way. Thank God it worked and I walked out of there ok. Sometimes I wonder when the hell this anxiety will leave me alone. I don’t know. Maybe it will always be part of me. I just have to let it ride over me as Clare Weekes would say. Pay it no attention, just let it be there but ignore it. Easier said than done sometimes. I am glad that the Shed was your saving place. I am glad you got through that moment.
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Yes its terrifying becasue your whole body is taken over! Sorry you are still getting those panic attacks. Its like there is no control and your body is on a rollercoaster you cant stop it. x
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I needed that acronym! Thank you. I’ve been struggling with the same process of “feeling” your feelings. I always avoid them if at all possible.
Now I just need a shed. 🙂; )
Hooray for you!!!
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Yes I think I need to put a chair in there and make it my timeout place. its just too cold at the mo.x
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Well done you! Everyone needs a sober shed 😉
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I know right? Maybe I’ll make a little sign and call it ‘the timeout, mommy needs to get her sh*t together shed’ xxx
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Good for you! Celebrate every single triumph! Sometime last year, something I read on one of the sober blogs sent me in search of Daniell Koepke. She has a wonderful mini-essay called Breathe, which I immediately copied into my journal.
But I’m still trying to remember to put it into practice!
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Thank you I will check it out. The thing is to actually have enough presence of mind to know to breathe through it. Think it might get easier with practice? hope so!
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I have Breathe as the screensaver on my iPad. Do look for it Hurrah, it’s a lifesaver for patients we have with panic. Nice recommendation Northwoman1996
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Well done you. I used that R.A.I.N. myself but it is so easy to get stuck in it somewhere. I love that you were able to bring yourself back to centre in your shed.
Hurrah I have to point out how pleased I am to NOT be the only one surprised that I am “adulting”. I remember very early on doing something, can’t remember what and thinking “look at me acting like a grown up!” And being genuinely surprised that this was happening. I genuinely feel like I am not a grown up yet and these moments of maturity come as a real shock to me. I am sure some people must find this ridiculous but I think I stopped maturing sometime around 16-19 but have suddenly at 47 caught up.
“Adulting all over the place” my god what a great post!!
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I am totally stuck at 19 too! Now these ‘adulting’ moments are creeping in I am realsing how bloody childish I actually am:) I always say when I grow up I will have neat and tidy handbags like my mother does. That still hasn’t happened and it might never happen:)
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Oh I get it.
I had to sit with my feelings today, too.
It’s hard.
So are sitting with the panic feelings.
I am glad you are ok.
xo
Wendy
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Woot woot!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉
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