The parched earth has rejoiced again as rain rolled through. The thunder was a steady rumble and snarl and growl. Lightening flashed like paparazzi cameras. I was glad the worst of it was to the north and south because these kind of storms cause me some anxiety. There's the potential for tornadoes when the temperature plummets so quickly but after checking the news, thankfully, there didn't appear to have been any.
You know it's going to be a bad one when the wind blows opposite to the storm's direction as the air gets sucked up by the towering clouds. Then there's that brief moment of absolute stillness where leaves hang limp, unmoving, anxiously anticipating the unleashed fury of wind and rain.
As much as thunderstorms scare the daylights out of me, I'm fascinated by their incredible power.
On a completely different note and because of all the illness that has plagued me since January, it seemed prudent to do a bit of research. There's been a correlation between those living with anxiety disorders and reduced immune system capabilities.
Chronic anxiety, part of PTSD, burns out the body so I've been paying more attention to my own level of anxiety. It seems to run at a constant, slow simmer all the time. (I can't imagine what it would be without medication!)
Hyper vigilance is also one PTSD's symptoms. It's also been part of my life for as long as I can remember. It's a subconscious behaviour, the watching, the being alert to potential threats, being prepared to react in a split second. It's like the leaves waiting for a storm. It's not even something I'm aware is happening yet is as much a part of my life as breathing.
Perhaps I am going about this the wrong way. Maybe learning to lower my guard would rectify the anxiety.
Yah...like that's possible. I don't think this is simply a matter of will. This needs a whole brain makeover.
I wonder if this is part of the big black box?
"He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Lk 4:18-19
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Boundary Study Part 2
"Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God--truly righteous and holy...
I've been wondering lately if/how much neuro-plasticity plays a part in PTSD? In other words, are symptoms a result of new brain connections having been formed by trauma or abuse? And how much might the same thing play a part in recovery? For example, are there ways to re-route the brain's connections, in order to overcome symptoms such as constant anxiety? Medication obviously does its part, but beyond that, if new brain responses were laid down, maybe there would be healing, instead of just masking the symptoms. Our brains are certainly complex and fascinating.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely they are. Repeated trauma only reinforces the neural pathways. Yes, just like after a stroke, new neural pathways can be made to bypass other routes. It`s a long, slow process. It takes practice, repetition and more practice.
ReplyDeleteIt`s why I persevered with the worship team despite the terribly high anxiety it caused in the beginning. If I don`t explore other things, there will be no brain change.
One good thing, these recent discoveries about the brain have added physical damage to an illness that was once thought of being ``all in your head``. There`s also been recent discoveries regarding damage to our DNA that is caused by traumatic events be they physical or menta.
If more people that write articles really concerned themselves with writing great content like you, more readers would be interested in their writings. Thank you for caring about your content. Thunderstorm Sounds
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