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[kippurbird]

I discovered today that I can "Shutdown" or "Shut off" my emotions when I'm having a panic/anxiety attack but need to do something like drive to get to my parent's house to get help. And then when I get somewhere safe I can go hysterical.

Does any one else do that?

Comments

[pikake]

i can do it situationally.

[kippurbird]

I guess it is a situational thing for me. Because driving while being hysterical is not a good thing! XD

[kippurbird]

Yeah. That's what it feels like to me. It's definitely a coping mechanism.

[mdchan]

Well, I can do it when I'm being yelled at, but not during a panic attack. After a panic attack, maybe...

I don't know about shutting off emotions during one...I mean, pretty much every emotion except for fear and panic are shut off during a panic attack, I noticed. I don't drive anywhere when it happens, but I do call up one of my parents.

It's an anchor thing. Shutting down and seeking out someone that can 'ground' you back out of your panic. That's what I've discovered, at least. I'm also less prone to even having a panic attack if I'm with one of my 'anchors'.

[kippurbird]

It's so much shutting them off during them. At least for me it's a "Okay, I need to drive and I can't drive while crying and being all hysterical, so I'll put that on hold until I get somewhere safe and call up my parents and/or get to my parent's place."

Yeah. My mom's my anchor and as soon as I call her it becomes easier to control it.

[urocyon_c]

Yeah, I've been having to do a lot of that lately, with a lot of nervewracking events beyond my control. "Shutting off emotions" isn't what I do, so much as keep a lid on potentially dangerous responses--feels like selective numbing at the time, but more in an "ignore this until it's safe to do otherwise". I also try to shut off things like physical pain episodes until I get home or to another safe environment, for similar reasons.

I wouldn't suggest operating in this kind of emergency mode for any length of time at all, having tried that. Doing it occasionally is one thing, but regularly using it as a coping mechanism is rather another. It's hard to tell how much came from PTSD, in my case, and how much was responsible for more symptoms. As usual, YMMV.

[kisekileia]

I sometimes can.

[idiotgrrl]

I always held it in until I got in my car, and then had a royal, bloody screaming fit where nobody could hear me. "On the Interstate, nobody can hear you scream."

[kippurbird]

While you're driving?

[idiotgrrl]

In the parking lot, usually.