Busyness as a Coping Technique
Immediately, I’m writing from the messy center. You already know the place. It’s when you find yourself in the course of working by way of one thing troublesome, and you might be nonetheless making an attempt to determine it out. That’s the place I’m right this moment.
My relationship with my physique is sophisticated
I’ve began working with my therapist on a subject I’ve been avoiding for years: my physique and the way I really feel about it. As a sexual abuse survivor with CPTSD, my relationship with my physique is sophisticated. It’s not the dissociation from the sensations I wrote about in my earlier article; it’s the untangling of so many ideas and beliefs tied to it that has confirmed somewhat troublesome.
My therapist has been on trip on and off after the vacations, which is ok, however it does create a pause within the course of. I will be inclined for depth and may change into obsessive about wanting to complete one thing. It’s most likely a God factor to interrupt me out of my obsessive deal with working by way of the subject in order that I’ll obtain that as an act of care on His half.
Whereas my therapist has been gone, I’ve saved busy with my full-time job and organising my teaching enterprise. Throughout this previous week’s pause, I turned conscious that I used to be maintaining myself busy ALL the time, too busy. In the midst of the week, I hit the wall and couldn’t even transfer, by no means thoughts work. I seen this was a sample in my life round how I exploit busyness as a coping technique. I assumed that was attention-grabbing, so I began being attentive to it.
There’s nothing improper with depth or singular focus, however I used it to keep away from being nonetheless and sitting in silence
There’s nothing improper with depth or singular focus, however I used it to keep away from being nonetheless and sitting in silence, ready to get again to work. Prior to now, I’ve waded into the deep finish of my trauma alone…pondering I might deal with it myself. Let me say that I don’t suggest that strategy. I’ve discovered it so useful to have a compassionate witness who can consolation the wounded elements of myself.
I didn’t wish to take that strategy with this matter as a result of it’s extremely advanced, and I knew I wanted assist untangling this rat’s nest. There was a battle happening inside me between wanting badly to the touch the forbidden fruit (if you realize what I imply) and eager to keep away from it altogether. This battle brought on a lot noise in my head, driving me loopy. In some unspecified time in the future, I need to’ve determined to distract myself from this battle, although I don’t bear in mind making that call.
Our coping methods have been developed sooner or later in our lives to maintain us secure
I’m not shaming myself for utilizing busyness as a short-term coping technique (my therapist is again this week so we will get again to work). Our coping methods have been developed sooner or later in our lives to maintain us secure. There comes a time within the therapeutic journey after we should assess whether or not these tried and true coping methods nonetheless serve us.
As I started the evaluation course of, I questioned how typically I exploit this escape mechanism to keep away from coping with or confronting painful or troublesome issues. I do it typically and know I’m not the one one. I see it on a regular basis within the office with trauma survivors who hold themselves busy so that they don’t need to take care of the ache of their previous or attempt to earn the suitable to really feel worthy. We work so exhausting to show that we’re any person, that we aren’t that one who was informed they might by no means quantity to something or that they have been a loser. We exhaust ourselves making an attempt to outperform our interior critic, and we will by no means escape it.
What occurs after we cease the busyness and stay nonetheless? The noise and condemnation of our interior critic rise to insufferable decibel ranges. With the condemnation comes the ache, disgrace, anger, and all the opposite feelings that we’ve pent up for years that threaten to overwhelm us and our means to perform. We’re triggered right into a youthful model of ourselves that doesn’t have the coping abilities to deal with the scenario.
We want a compassionate witness to validate our feelings
That is why we want assistance on this therapeutic journey. We want a compassionate witness to validate our feelings, consolation our littles, and heal our boo-boos. Whether or not it’s a therapist, coach, or each, discover somebody to stroll with you on this journey.
You don’t have to do that alone, and neither do I. I’m strolling the identical path towards therapeutic and residing the life I wish to dwell.
I’m right here for you. You’ll find me at www.cyndibennettconsulting.com. Schedule your complimentary discovery name right this moment.
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Believer. Chief. Learner. Advocate. Author. Speaker. Coach. Mentor. Triathlete. Encourager. Survivor.
Most of all, I’m a fellow traveler on the rocky highway referred to as, Trauma Restoration. My mission is to reduce the consequences of trauma for survivors within the office.
