Do you have an exaggerated 'freeze' response from a traumatic childhood?

[Rheeso]

Posting here for traffic because I really need new ideas. This is me, I don't move. I can't do the things I need to do. I just wonder how others have coped/learnt to overcome this all-powerful instinct to not move. It's ruining my life. And yes I am in therapy.

It's a really small thing but I wiggle my toes. It shifts attention to an area of the body we hardly ever think about, usually feels nice and the act of doing something to help myself out of it is a positive one. It took a lot of practice to make it something that even entered my mind when frozen, I practiced with a therapist.

I had BWRT therapy. I learnt how to get to a preferred response instead. Can’t recommend it enough.

What kind of circumstances would this happen in?

I have a problem with finding myself stuck sometimes - I might be sitting in a train station and when my train comes I find I can’t move off the seat, or I can’t get out of my car when I’ve driven to the shops.

I’ve learned different ways of breaking through this - cynical disbelief helps. Or challenging myself to get completely still for two minutes (or a count of 200) - the urge to itch or wriggle becomes stronger.

(Lots of therapy too)

Posting as I will respond later.xx

I downloaded this book last night. Wow, the opening chapter is really triggering with the Vietnam soldier and his PTSD. The author describes him committing war crimes as if it wasn’t his fault. It was quite horrible to read. I feel he should have been reported to the police, not treated as though he were a victim.

I think it was a case that he had committed the crimes and was finding them hard to live with. There's plenty you could say about that, but van de Kolk's remit is to heal.

The knowledge in the book is immense though and it's readable.

Yes I know but it was strange he didn’t address the fact he’d committed horrific crimes.