7/7 In the moment, it felt like I was weak and broken. But I wasn’t, and this new trick helped me get stronger and better at completing so many tasks in my life despite living with chronic, debilitating pain. 🛑

6/I could probably list a dozen more examples. But stopping in the middle of a task taught me MORE about what I was capable of, which was the exact opposite of how it felt in the monument. 👇

5/
- Going to target one day and the grocery store the next, instead of both in one day despite it using more gas
- Splitting up my meal planning, grocery shopping, and meal prepping (actually making the food) into 3 days

4/ - Cleaning the sink in the bathroom one day and the shower the next
- Putting the pen/keyboard away in the middle of a paragraph instead of finishing the whole paper in one go

3/which reinforces the idea that you can’t stop until your task is complete.

It’s a viscous cycle, but it’s completely possible to break, if you want to. When I was at the start of this journey, it looked like
- doing half a sink of dishes at a time
👇

2/ As adults, we comply because we’ve internalized every fiber of this message. Our nervous system only knows how to push through so much that once you stop to rest, you have no energy left to start back up again. So you don’t start again after you’ve stopped, 👇

Being aware of how you think, feel, and act doesn’t mean you’re not struggling. I think it means you have a better chance of living a life without the extreme suffering that comes with personality disorders.
👇

I won’t go into whether I “have it” or not, but I will say this - it’s a damaging thing to say someone.

That sentence made me think that anytime I struggled with my emotions in a wildly severe way, that it was normal. And therefore I didn’t need help for it.👇

Yes exactly!

i do love crockpot meals! i'm more of an instantpot girl these days, but both are incredible tools 🎉

That's why both
- a short but multiple-hours long weekend therapy intensive format
OR
- ongoing hour-long weekly/biweekly therapy sessions both work so well - both options provides enough time and support to gradually shift from survival mode into a state where genuine curiosity becomes possible.END

- Using your analytical mind as an ally rather than trying to override it
- Respecting when your system says "not now" -I think this one is MOST important

True curiosity happens naturally when our nervous system feels safe enough to explore.

idk what number we're on anymore, sorry, keep reading :)

- Your system is primed for action/protection, not reflection/curiosity

This is why our therapeutic work begins with:
- Acknowledging that forced curiosity isn't helpful
- Building safety first through manageable, concrete exercises
- Starting with "data collection" rather than exploration
3/5👇

When your nervous system is in a survival state:
- The analytical mind often goes into overdrive as a protection mechanism
- Physical sensations might feel threatening rather than interesting
- The idea of "exploring" these sensations can trigger more anxiety

2/5👇

2/2 struggle to actually feel the sensation of anxiety in your body. This disconnect isn't because you're "bad at body awareness," it's because your brain has optimized for a different kind of processing.

2/2 If you're needing to use a chair to properly bathe, please do it and do it without shame.

There's nothing shameful about doing what you have to do in order to take good care of yourself.

And I hope that you find yourself on the other side of that level of fatigue very soon.