Stress intolerance

[[Lo...]]

Can we really still heal if we have stress intolerance , people who have exercise intolerance can avoid it but how do we avoid stress , someone can say or do something around us that could cause us upset we have no control over that , could have some sad news or any sort of emotional distress that is beyond our control , what do we do if we have this problem ?  

[[Pa...]]

@[Lo...], its my belief that we can feel worse or more intense symptoms if we're stressed but we're still healing through them.  The only thing I believe would prevent healing is another benzo, z-drug, alcohol or any other substance that affects our GABA receptors in a similar manner. 

[[jo...]]

If stress stopped healing then nobody would ever heal because, like you say, it's unavoidable. It can just cause a flare up of symptoms, so it's best to avoid it as much as possible. Not easy in today's world though.

[[Lo...]]

I just wonder because I have such awful waves when it’s happening , I feel like it’s prolonging my recovery 

[[jo...]]

16 minutes ago, [[L...] said:

I just wonder because I have such awful waves when it’s happening , I feel like it’s prolonging my recovery 

To prolong your recovery I think it would have to effect GABA receptors which I don't think it does. I have heard of people having stress waves after they have been feeling good and thought they were healed.

I think we can feel good and still have a sensitive NS for a while, so it's not really a setback in my opinion, their just not yet fully healed and are having a wave. The only things that can cause genuine setbacks are things that effect GABA.

[[Lo...]]

I kind of wonder that maybe our gaba receptors are trying to keep balance and then stress sets off our fear response and it can unbalance our gaba again so a awful wave of symptoms , some people including myself can have bad stress setbacks I mean I’m sure the flu added to it , but even now I can be managing better and then emotional stress can put me back in hard symptoms struggling again , I just can’t see how can we ever get out of it if we have this intolerance 

[[jo...]]

People heal so that is all the evidence you need that it doesn't stop that from happening. Being affected by stress is as common a symptom as there is so I wouldn't worry to much about it. None of us would get better if stress stopped that from happening. You will heal just fine

[[Lo...]]

@[jo...] thank you , I hope so as it just doesn’t seem my stress levels are ever getting back to normal, thank you again just have to give it more time  

[[Ab...]]

10 minutes ago, [[L...] said:

@[jo...] thank you , I hope so as it just doesn’t seem my stress levels are ever getting back to normal, thank you again just have to give it more time  

I kinda accidently tested this theory recently. I went away to a mental health wellness facility for three week across month 5 and 6 of WD. At the centre in nature only having to worry about yoga, getting fed lunch or doing group therapy all my symtpoms fizzled down to a 1 out of 10. I felt calm relaxed happy and healed. 

I came home bounced back into my pre withdrawal life working hard, gigs, dinners out, pilates. And in just one week my CNS flicked back on and my symptoms started again. Yesterday I felt as bad as before I went away.

The one thing that has helped mentally is having that circuit breaker of stress free feeling good has strengthened my mental coping mechanisms. I can differentiate between WD and symtpoms and remind my brain we will be ok. Its made a huge difference to me coping with stress now. I have had a shockingly awful week of other peoples dramas. But I find i can regulate myself better now than before. 

[[Ab...]]

Obviously not everyone can just pack a suitcase and do this. But it did show me how city life and just day to day activities of looking after myself trying to keep.my head above water in employment etc... contribute to my stress and symptoms. 

I don't have an answer on how to fix this but I have like a marble jar of activities and movements my CNS can handle each day so moving forward I am going to try and reduce everything in my life down to the minimum I need to do each day. I.e shower. Eat.

Then focus as much time as possible on reading books, resting, not moving to try and reduce the daily strain on my CNS 

[[Lo...]]

@[Ab...] that was lovely for you , yes I think outside factors definitely play in , if I stick in my bubble and don’t change much and just see the people I feel ok with things are easier if I change something or anything is different than the norm I’m triggered which is hard as I was spontaneous before would do things at the last min etc . Emotional stress is a big one that sends my nervous system crazy , I miss being able to be upset or have a good cry then just carry on and what ever , not that I like being upset but I miss being normal  and able to handle it with no repercussions. It’s like I’m walking on egg shells trying not to trigger myself . Some triggers have got better but others are still so damn hard and it just sends me back into hard withdrawal suffering . I’m sorry you’re not feeling so good now back but at least you have some good coping tools now , this is something I’m working on as I am also very over reactive still so calming myself down once triggered isn’t easy 

[[Ab...]]

I agree with that too i was so adventurous and fufilled in life before. Now my nervous system zings at the slightest thing. Its so sensitive (just starting month 7 of WD) 

I keep trying to live my life, but just really came to the conclusion after my trip and getting zinged again I am going to have to make some.major life changes and this WD is going to take alot longer than I anticipated. I had all these plans post month six that I would be healed and going on holiday etc... 

Im away with friends for my birthday and spending most of the trip away from their noise reading in my bedroom. Its so sad to be living like this. Yesterday I didnt event want to get in the car to be driven down. 😭

Now I realise it's may not being able to continue my career short term and the market is super tough atm. I may decide to move out of the city into nature (as that seems to help) and maybe I need a six month life break to focus on recovery. At a loss of what to do but we will heal. We just have to reset our expectations on the journey to that healing day.