For as long as I can remember I’ve had this perpetual tight feeling in my chest, like my nervous system is ALWAYS fighting inside my chest. I take anti depressants and anxiety medication and I practise a lot of deep breathing but it’s always there, even when I’m relaxed and alone. I just wanted to know is that normal? Are some of us just prone to this forever or can it be stopped?
I have had adrenaline coursing through my system on a daily basis for decades. It took a break for a few years but for the past year or so it is back. I seem always to be in very stressful living situations, mostly due to poverty. If something is barely upsetting, it begins to flow instantly. And lately I feel it rise up just because I realize my turn off is coming up when I am driving. And yes it happens when I am relaxed and alone.
I do believe it can be stopped. I found relief for a few years. I found the courage (due to an amazing counselor) to do much deeper work on myself and made it a daily goal, no exceptions, to do the self-care actions, the journaling, the body work, the vagus nerve massage, the EMDR, the reading up on my condition, the Youtube healing videos. I really dove into it all and got good results.
A bad accident, the death of a parent, and loss of my job (and self-image because of that) are what interrupted that lovely flow of healing. It has been 16 months of just surviving but I do expect things to settle down eventually so I can return to that place where I feel capable of working towards greatly reducing the constantly Red Alert nervous system.
It is normal. But you don't have to accept it or allow it to continue indefinitely.
I hope some of this was ok to read.....
Thank you for this! 🩷 I’m happy to hear that self-care stuff actually does make a difference, I’m pretty new on actually paying attention to my needs and emotions so I feel so lost on how to self-soothe.
Sorry you're feeling this way. Is there anything that helps? Like going for a walk or exercising? Have you spoken to your doctor about switching your medication?
I have been on my meds a long time. Maybe I will bring that up at my next appointment, they could have possibly lost the effect they used to have. Thank you for your response 🩷
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