I've said it to a lot of clients by now. It's not fun to say, and it's even less fun to hear. But it's true. And it's empowering.
The only way out is through.
See, the natural body response when we go through hard stuff is to protect or get outta there. Our bodies actually create these incredible strategies to help us survive the hardest moments, and then later on those strategies can end up looking like chronic pain, fatigue, angry outbursts, substance use, and on and on.
We all have these fighting and running away instincts in our bodies that kick in, and we also have a set of body skills to keep us safe by freezing or shutting down. A lot of times when people go through really hard things, they end up going into that shut down mode to stay alive. We refer to it as "dissociation" sometimes. It's like your regulation centers in your body taking a step back from the situation, assessing it as unsustainable, and saying, "well, we're gonna shut down some systems here so you can get through this." And this is incredibly important at the time.
The tough part is that our bodies sometimes hold tightly to these strategies over the course of our life, weeks or months or years after the hard stuff is over. Our body is still triggered by sensory input that sends us back into that checking out place for protection, even if we no longer need to be protected.
As human beings we seem very adaptable to these strategies of getting out, backing off, and retreating into ourselves for self-preservation. I want to emphasize here that if this has happened to you, IT NEEDED TO HAPPEN. You didn't do anything wrong. You're a survivor and your body knew what you needed at the time.
And here's the hope. Staying with our hard stuff can feel too overwhelming. And a lot of times it is too overwhelming to try all at once. But we can't get out of the trigger cycle through avoidance.
The only way out is through.
Being stagnant hurts. Moving through releases.
That's why we need great tools and great help. That's why Bravely Being exists. That's why there are therapists and other professionals out there who specialize in this stuff. Because you CAN move through the hard stuff. Your body and your brain can learn to work together to softly, gently move with and through.
Start moving, friends. We're gonna be here to help.
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