Anxiety and fear might be protecting us from real danger (for instance snakes give me the creeps just on principle… so you won’t find me cozying up with a rattle snake which does seem smart and somewhat rational) ….. however I have seen anxiety spill into ordinary situations that have no present danger and that anxiety can keep one stuck.
I like your question “what does this remind me of?”
If I start down that line of thinking , it often comes back to feeling unprotected and on my own (abandoned)… having to fight to survive.
Need to change those references. If I ask the question, there are so many references that eventually lead to that. Thank you for the reminder.
PS…. I saw Godzilla (with King Kong! ) in the movie theatre when I was six. Oddly that didn’t scare me at all!
Amy, you're so right, anxiety and fear do serve a purpose when there’s real danger. Like your rattlesnake example, it’s wise to have a healthy respect for something harmful without needing to panic.
The tricky part is that our nervous system often doesn’t make that distinction, and fear responses spill over into safe, ordinary situations. Many people hold on tightly to those fears because it feels like releasing them would leave them exposed and unsafe, but that isn’t true. Releasing the overactive fear doesn’t make us naïve, it frees us to respond with clarity instead of overwhelm (or panic).
I really get what you said about those old references surfacing again and again. That’s such a common experience. Which is why changing the emotional charge of those memories is so powerful. It helps the nervous system stop confusing the past with the present.
(And I love the Godzilla memory! Funny how the things that scare some people don’t even register for others. It shows how unique our nervous systems’ “danger maps” are.)
Love the Godzilla picture. My husband used to make a zztt noise when going under transmission lines. Like he was getting zapped. I thought it was funny.
So relatable though - childhood memories that stick. Monsters under the bed. I remember very clearly turning off the light, running as fast as possible, and jumping onto the bed so as not to get caught by any monsters. Recently, one night, with my arm hanging off the side of my bed, that old memory flashed through my head. Yes, I did pull my arm back onto the bed. lol
Oh yeah, I remember that arm hanging off the bed feeling. Danger, danger young Will Robinson, return to the safety of the comforter. The attic entrance was in my closet, so not only did I have to contend with the monsters under the bed, there were the ones in the attic as well. Imagination is so powerful.
That zztt noise is funny too, links and associations show up all around us.
Beautifully written article, Nicola, it's so important to remember that power in faith, as opposed to fear, and the fact that the discomfort we feel in fear is a reflection of how out of alignment we are with our authentic selves. I, like most, have had my fears and avoidant behaviours through experiencing traumatic events and still get caught at times, as we do!
Anxiety and fear might be protecting us from real danger (for instance snakes give me the creeps just on principle… so you won’t find me cozying up with a rattle snake which does seem smart and somewhat rational) ….. however I have seen anxiety spill into ordinary situations that have no present danger and that anxiety can keep one stuck.
I like your question “what does this remind me of?”
If I start down that line of thinking , it often comes back to feeling unprotected and on my own (abandoned)… having to fight to survive.
Need to change those references. If I ask the question, there are so many references that eventually lead to that. Thank you for the reminder.
PS…. I saw Godzilla (with King Kong! ) in the movie theatre when I was six. Oddly that didn’t scare me at all!
Amy, you're so right, anxiety and fear do serve a purpose when there’s real danger. Like your rattlesnake example, it’s wise to have a healthy respect for something harmful without needing to panic.
The tricky part is that our nervous system often doesn’t make that distinction, and fear responses spill over into safe, ordinary situations. Many people hold on tightly to those fears because it feels like releasing them would leave them exposed and unsafe, but that isn’t true. Releasing the overactive fear doesn’t make us naïve, it frees us to respond with clarity instead of overwhelm (or panic).
I really get what you said about those old references surfacing again and again. That’s such a common experience. Which is why changing the emotional charge of those memories is so powerful. It helps the nervous system stop confusing the past with the present.
(And I love the Godzilla memory! Funny how the things that scare some people don’t even register for others. It shows how unique our nervous systems’ “danger maps” are.)
I used to have power lines nightmares where they'd cut and electrocute me.
Had them through Adolescence and till date,
I'm always careful to avoid them while on the road 🤦🏾♂️
Thank you for sharing, Frankline. I wonder what that nightmare stemmed from.
It is good to be careful on the road though!
I always am
Love the Godzilla picture. My husband used to make a zztt noise when going under transmission lines. Like he was getting zapped. I thought it was funny.
So relatable though - childhood memories that stick. Monsters under the bed. I remember very clearly turning off the light, running as fast as possible, and jumping onto the bed so as not to get caught by any monsters. Recently, one night, with my arm hanging off the side of my bed, that old memory flashed through my head. Yes, I did pull my arm back onto the bed. lol
Oh yeah, I remember that arm hanging off the bed feeling. Danger, danger young Will Robinson, return to the safety of the comforter. The attic entrance was in my closet, so not only did I have to contend with the monsters under the bed, there were the ones in the attic as well. Imagination is so powerful.
That zztt noise is funny too, links and associations show up all around us.
Beautifully written article, Nicola, it's so important to remember that power in faith, as opposed to fear, and the fact that the discomfort we feel in fear is a reflection of how out of alignment we are with our authentic selves. I, like most, have had my fears and avoidant behaviours through experiencing traumatic events and still get caught at times, as we do!