Trauma in the body

[MewithME]

Not sure if this is the right place for this but I've been thinking a lot about my chronic illness and the past trauma I've been through.

I developed MECFS after covid but I have been through ongoing stress and trauma from my exh for over a decade. I have done therapy. It's at a point where it has helped but it's plateaued and now it's just a crutch.

I have frequently thought I have trauma stored in my body. I startle easily . I'm triggered by things. I can feel a bit addicted to cortisol or adrenaline to push through work and I am an over achiever in some ways (not materially... in work and friendships and effort and have some perfectionism which I work on). I've done some work around the vagal nerve. Just meditation and breathing which can help but I wondered if anyone has had any treatment for trauma with EMDR or anything?

Just after some perspectives really. ESP if you have MECFS or fibromyalgia or similar.

@Bloopy2 I think physical activity is healthy and walking is good for the mind. Not good for me with M.E. though!

Hope your walk helps you x

@Bloopy2 sometimes this is how mindfulness helps as it’s teaching you to start to learn to observe and just sit with what’s happening in your body rather than trying to resist it or do something like a 10 mile walk so you don’t feel it! If you try it and look first for those areas of your body you feel comfortable / “Safe” in , then you have a choice to start to feel into or around those areas where your body is holding emotional pain. It’s really difficult if you have learnt different ways of being in your body due to illness and / or stressful life events ,which is why having a hands on therapist ( or other therapeutic work ) can give you support along the way….I have found it a really scary process but I’m understanding so much more about my body’s responses now ,so I can cope a lot better. Physical activity and pushing myself hard was always my way of coping hence why developing CFS after a virus ( and getting worse after multiple viruses and not letting myself recover) possibly happened. It’s also about letting go of worries about what’s ahead and just observing what’s in the here and now…I was always very driven ,in control with lots of goals so that has been tough (and weird ) to try and change my mindset .

Great topic. I certainly need to let go of that anxiety. I store it in my body. I do therapy, which helps, but it’s still in the body.