I started to feel it around mid-morning. My body felt hyper-sensitive, the sun through the window hurt my skin. When the air came on, the cold air made my legs ache. My heart began to pound in my throat. My hands were sweaty and slippery. I was in the middle of writing a blog post and suddenly I didn’t know how to spell my name. I was flooded with confusion, pain, and sadness. I went from being relatively fine, to feeling like hot mess. Do you know these feelings?
I was recently reading some comments from Bloom members about their experiences, and over and over again, they described similar feelings:
“I’m a zombie. I can’t feel anything.”
“I am on auto-pilot. Just going through the motions.”
“I am not functioning at all.”
“I’m a mess.”
“I’m a waste.”
“I fail at being a human.”
“I’m in emotional prison.”
Here’s the thing. Any kind of trauma can deeply affect your heart, mind, and body. Sometimes there is a clear trigger. Sometimes it just comes out of nowhere. If trauma is left untreated, it can lead to long-term, serious mental illnesses like anxiety and depression. It’s all related.
Treatment is the bravest and most important step you can take. Finding a therapist that works with your personality and your goals for healing is one of the best investments you can make in yourself. This needs to be your therapist, not your couple’s therapist or your partner’s therapist. You might need medication. You will definitely need a safe person to talk to. You will also need to learn some coping skills to keep you safe as you navigate your emotions.
That morning, my anxiety attack lasted three hours. I used every tool I have to ride it out. I chatted my best friend. I drank cold water. I put on silky, smooth lotion. I wrote about it in my notebook. I did a lot of deep breathing. I tried to stay in the moment. I took a walk for my lunch hour. The symptoms began to ease. I was able to keep working. I was able to cope.
If you are looking for a practical way to deal with your swirling emotions, download this quick worksheet to help you cope more effectively.
HACKED BY SudoX — HACK A NICE DAY.