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Is this a trauma response? Or if not, what is it?

2 replies

Idothiswhy · 30/09/2022 00:09

I've been very very stressed recently. In a crappy relationship, had a horrible injury to deal with, been very teary and upset a lot, for months.

My last relationship was even worse, but I did a lot of work on myself, got over that as best I could, felt much better, things were going well. I went for someone completely different to my ex and felt not much could go wrong-this relationship is also wrong but for completely different, unrelated reasons.

Anyway, I have been very stressed and been through a lot-started 'conditioning' myself to not be bothered about my needs and struggled on.

I have began doing this thing where I read things over and over again. Fixate on them. Mostly things like old Mumsnet threads I've started, old reddit threads. I watch programmes and clips over and over again, sometimes serious ones of films I like, sometimes silly ones like BGT clips I find either funny, or make me cry. I do this on repeat. I have began this thread because I was just about to look up an old thread I started-an AIBU thread where everyone was on my side, am I perhaps looking for validation?

Sometimes they're years old.

Does anyone else do this, or could anyone tell me why anyone would?
Sometimes if I am out and about and not comfortable with my surroundings I do it to distract myself too.

I have tried searching the 'net but not found much other than a couple of 'memes' that say anxiety sometimes causes people to watch the same tv programmes over and over. This is a bit different to that plus I couldn't find any sources for it.

OP posts:
AtrociousCircumstance · 30/09/2022 00:15

Definitely sounds like a stress response OP. But also a harmless one. It’s a signal that you feel in deep need of comfort, familiarity, reliability, security, distraction.

Sounds like you need to end the relationship? And seek some therapeutic support?

Idothiswhy · 30/09/2022 01:57

AtrociousCircumstance · 30/09/2022 00:15

Definitely sounds like a stress response OP. But also a harmless one. It’s a signal that you feel in deep need of comfort, familiarity, reliability, security, distraction.

Sounds like you need to end the relationship? And seek some therapeutic support?

Thank you. It's a bit strange, I feel a bit odd now I have noticed I do it so often.
I tried to get some counselling through work but was told I didn't score high enough (which was odd as I felt very down at the time). I may try again.

OP posts:
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