Anxiety Recovery, Re-Sensitization, and De-Sensitization (Episode 50)

OH NO! IT'S COME BACK!

The habits we develop and the neuropathways that get created by a disordered state of anxiety mean that even long into recovery, an anxious person might be re-triggered by life events, stress, memories, or any number of expected issues. This is normal. If this happens, we can feel things again ... anxiety, anxiety symptoms, and scary thoughts. This is not failure, or returning to square one, or "doing it wrong". This is being human and alive.

But exactly what has been re-triggered when this happens? How does a recovered person or nearly recovered person become re-sensitized to anxious sensations and thoughts? This week we're talking about how external events can re-trigger INTERNAL sensitization - the state where we treat how we feel and what we think as urgently important or even dangerous.

When suddenly re-sensitized, what then? As you might expect, this episode goes into detail about the process of de-sensitizing oneself to your internal state, which isn't a process at all. It's OK to be re-triggered. The trick here is to steer clear of the usual traps - looking for steps, tools, and techniques for making the feelings go away.

When re-sensitized, the object of the game is to de-sensitize as you did before by allowing, accepting, tolerating, and surrendering. Bring it all with you, do not launch into evasive action or retreat rituals, and you will likely find that de-sensitization happens much more quickly than you expect it to.

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Disclaimer: Disordered is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to Disordered does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the hosts of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.