"But all too often, I act out of my hijacked limbic system, and not my rational brain, and that has real-world, present-day consequences."
In my own experience, learning this simple reality itself can be transformative. I used to be a great deal more in the control of those limbic reactions. When my interior monologue would start up with the usual litany of accusations, I'd simply be believing it. Now, I think, Oh, I'm having that limbic reaction thing again. being able to identify and take at least one step back from it is a huge improvement. It's as if I've seen through the magician's trick, and I can't be impressed with it again.
Andrew Huberman has a kind of relaxation meditation technique that I think could be hugely helpful. It just focuses your mind on the physical, rather than the mental phantasms.
Truly can't emphasize this enough. I was fortunate enough to do a DBT outpatient program and it directly addresses so many of these issues. I can definitely say I gained an enormous amount of functionality through DBT
There is a free/low-cost support system called Recovery International (https://www.recoveryinternational.org/). I very highly recommend it. It's a bit dated, but it can be quite effective and helped me.
Not a therapy-specific resource, but one of my all time favorite blogs is Raptitude. First, it's extremely insightful, and I almost always leave having something to chew on. Second, the author was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, which made him realize a lot about himself and why he was constantly doing lifestyle experiments to be more productive/fix his issues (some of which worked pretty well!). Definitely take a look if you want some interesting nuggets to carry around during the day!
"But all too often, I act out of my hijacked limbic system, and not my rational brain, and that has real-world, present-day consequences."
In my own experience, learning this simple reality itself can be transformative. I used to be a great deal more in the control of those limbic reactions. When my interior monologue would start up with the usual litany of accusations, I'd simply be believing it. Now, I think, Oh, I'm having that limbic reaction thing again. being able to identify and take at least one step back from it is a huge improvement. It's as if I've seen through the magician's trick, and I can't be impressed with it again.
I saw a great post a day or two ago. Simple, but I tried it last night and it more or less worked. Here it is, from Tom Bilyeu:
Overwhelm is a choice.
Here’s how to choose differently.
When your mind races, spinning with countless problems, remember this:
You don't do overwhelm.
It's that simple.
Here's what happens in your brain:
Problems pile up
Your mind tries to tackle them all at once
You feel the pressure building
Panic sets in
But here's the secret:
Overwhelm isn't real. It's a state of mind you create.
So, create a different one.
When you feel that mental pressure building:
Pause
Take a deep breath
Tell yourself: "I don't do overwhelm"
Relax your body
Slow down your thoughts
Ironically, slowing down makes you more efficient.
By refusing to engage with overwhelm, you clear mental space.
You regain control.
You become capable of solving problems one at a time.
Remember:
Your mind is a powerful tool.
But you control it, not the other way around.
Overwhelm is optional. Opt out.
https://x.com/TomBilyeu/status/1842594817370718653
Andrew Huberman has a kind of relaxation meditation technique that I think could be hugely helpful. It just focuses your mind on the physical, rather than the mental phantasms.
DBT is supposed to be good for the differently wired among us.
Truly can't emphasize this enough. I was fortunate enough to do a DBT outpatient program and it directly addresses so many of these issues. I can definitely say I gained an enormous amount of functionality through DBT
Thanks for opening up and sharing this.
There is a free/low-cost support system called Recovery International (https://www.recoveryinternational.org/). I very highly recommend it. It's a bit dated, but it can be quite effective and helped me.
Not a therapy-specific resource, but one of my all time favorite blogs is Raptitude. First, it's extremely insightful, and I almost always leave having something to chew on. Second, the author was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, which made him realize a lot about himself and why he was constantly doing lifestyle experiments to be more productive/fix his issues (some of which worked pretty well!). Definitely take a look if you want some interesting nuggets to carry around during the day!