Posted by Daisym on December 4, 2004, at 15:59:33
In reply to Re: is this regression? » Shortelise, posted by cubic_me on December 4, 2004, at 15:18:40
I'm not sure it is regression as much as it is an ingrained, reflex reaction to either tone voice or a facial expression. Your amegdela has encoded these things during previous interactions and most likely, you WERE hurt, yelled at, accused, whatever. This emotional center has a hyper reaction upon being restimulated and you are flooded with old emotions, including confusion (what did I do?) and embarressment. This makes it really hard to use your other brain centers to "think" of a response. How many times have you walked away and later thought "I should have said, blah, blah..."
It takes a lot of retraining of the brain to counteract such a powerful, almost instantaneous responses. There are many techniques that teach you to catch your own reactions and counter with breathing or mantras, or self-talk of some kind. The key is catching yourself.
I think that there are regressive qualitites to these feelings because they were likely encoded when we were young and felt powerless against whomever. I think that is why you freeze up and/or run away. Remember biology: fight, flight or freeze? Perhaps you should be glad that your initial response isn't fight -- so many people get immediately hostile-- which is sounds like this lady did with you.
And don't you just HATE when people say to you, "you shouldn't let people upset you..." urgg
poster:Daisym
thread:424337
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20041203/msgs/424396.html