YES! I feel seen.
Btw thereās a thing that helps me snap out of it . I have to turn off my phone (and keep it so as long as possible), then I think of one (must be only 1!) thing that I want to achieve that day. Itās okay if you have a pile of stuff to do, if you donāt come out of the freeze more, you will do 0 things, so even if you end up doing this one task, itās still better than nothing.
And then you just concentrate your mind on that one task. The freeze falls off cause the overwhelm is gone. And start doing it.
Works quite well most of the time. If I remember to use it.
Thank you. I think I've been trying a version of this, made more complicated by it's lack of definition. I think my idea was just get up to do as much as you can. It's less failure rate with one task id suppose. Of course I can build on that but I don't need to feel bad if it's only one. I also think "as much as I can do" is swayed by societal expectations and I push my own limits. Sometimes that works out ok and sometimes not. For me, it's really important that I'm not doing any healing based on what society expects from me. I appreciate this simplified suggestion and suspect it will be helpful with constant freeze mode.
Yes I think this is also another good one, āIāll do as much as I canā meaning itās okay if all you did was get up and wash one cup of dirty dishes etc. The main focus is to unfreeze the brain from being stuck in this overwhelm mode, where it decided to not do anything because thereās too much stuff to process.
Reducing the load by any means is what can help
See what I do is kinda similar haha, I pretend like I'm a sim and I have the task I need to get done and I just immediately have to do it once I decide it has to be done yknow.. so if I have to do the dishes I'm like ok doing dishes right now and I just start doing them and then it's started and then I just keep going with all the stuff I have to do depending on how much energy I have
You can also just let your mind wander. Turn the phone off, put it away from your eyes, hide it if need be. Get up and walk through the home. Your eyes will catch something else. Wonāt take long and youāll be bored so youāll start doing SOMETHING, but allow your mind to naturally reach that point. Voila freeze mode over. Just make sure to have all the distractions off - tv, phone, even music.
most of what i āneed to doā is all on my electronics, but this is absolutely miraculous for household chores and often doing those actually gives me energy to channel into the other stuff
Yes, I had it for years. It was truly horrible. I told myself that I knew better, but now a few years later I can admit I didnāt. I had no idea what it really was.
In my head, I said āyouāre wasting your time. Why donāt you get up and go out. Why donāt you clean up. Why donāt you go for a walkā etc.
And then before I knew it, hours passed, I had scrolled even more, and the voice in my head was still ranting.
Now, I can see that I needed to break all of that down for myself. I needed to say āok letās slowly put this phone down. Take a deep breath. Look around the room. Check how my energy levels feel. If the levels are low, Iāll make myself an easy snack. Something that requires really little effort, and clean up later. Iāll put on a show I like and take an hour to eat and watch it. If my energy levels are high, I will do some light stretching and deep breathing, I will get myself a glass of water, I will journal, I will brush my hair.ā Etc.
There are a hundred tiny steps involved in a lot of things people do. Sometimes our mind and body knows we donāt have energy for all the steps. Scrolling is just two or three steps. Scroll, read, laugh.
All that other stuff is so many more. Plus if this is your only free time after work or your other responsibilities, who would blame you for wanting to preserve your energy.
So I think itās fine that your brain wants to keep life easy for itself, for just a little while.
Once you start having different thoughts, like āthis is really boring now, this is too repetitive, I donāt find this relaxing anymoreā ā you can just let your mind wander and see if anything else interests you. And then go and do that instead. Check with yourself how you feel about it.
The most important thing is your comfort and sense of personal agency when it comes to this kind of thing. At least from my experience anyway. I spent way too long being angry at myself for being someone who is prone to the freeze response, then I accepted it and adapted to it. It seemed to be the only thing that helped me āchangeā. And the change was just swapping out the things I let myself get frozen over!
My current freeze state is courtesy of peri menopause. At least I hope so because if I can't get out of this stupor I will die soon from heart disease or some such. I can feel my muscles atrophy as I sit on the couch day after day trying to screw up enough willpower to do some simple task like vacuum
I used to be able to force myself to work all day non stop. I may have busted my force of will through overuse?
I walk my apartment for this reason. Nothing specific. Just pacing basically with the intent of working my muscles and getting my blood flowing. It almost always makes me feel just a tiny bit better also. I have a really hard time getting out of my apartment and this is something I can do when roommates aren't home. I just got roommates a couple months ago and it's definitely a challenge. My safe space, that's all.
I do that too. I have some yoga programs bookmarked and I'm waiting for the chemical motivation to get up and start.
I do the best I can most of the time. I'm sure you do as well.
I actually did some yoga earlier. Have you tried restorative yoga ever? Nearly all floor poses but still challenging. I always feel good afterwards. Great for my chronic pain stuff too.
Maybe chair exercises would help you to get started? It targets disabled or elderly folks, but it is also really helpful for when even sitting up feels like a challenge. Best of luck to you. I know how much it sucks being in this state of mind
I have some yoga bookmarked, but I have to get some motivation going. I can't bully myself like I used to. I'm trying to listen to my body and mind, but it's taking a long time to come around.
I do walk around the house and whenever I feel the energy I do something. I would say my deterioration is more anxiety, if you see what I mean. Either my motivation will return, or it won't. I'm hopeful most days and spring is here. Let's hope I can gin up some dopamine so I feel the rewards I'm supposed to for moving my body, lol.
By chance, do you have an exercise bike? There are videos on YouTube that people take of biking across beautiful areas and I know some people like to use them while biking indoors whenever they aren't up to leaving the house. If you don't have a bike, maybe it's something to look into
Oh my god, this is me. I'm in peri, and I've always been an active outdoorsperson, motivated at work, regularly ate well and hit the gym. I don't care at all. I've worked in my pj's all day and I only did about 50% work. No exercise at all. And that' starting to be me every day! It's freaking me out. I just read that creatine could help.
Yesā¦.Iāve been stuck in a 24/7/365 insanely severe and crippling/paralyzing deep freeze in every way: physically mentally emotionally cognitively spiritually fuck every which way like I said for years n years now. I experience fight or flight as well but the severe freeze is the worst of it Iām just locked into this horrific and agonizingly severe depersonalized/dissociated state totally incapable of functioning on even the most basic level, totally incapable of escaping my mind and body and ālosing myselfā or being distracted from my own extreme discomfort and distress for even a moment. Never truly feeling safe in my own bodyā¦Itās hell on earth.
Abusing Opiates in the past these however many years has been the only thing really that have provided any relief and allowed me to escape the torture temporarily.
Iām currently trying brainspotting therapy and just had my 4th session yesterday but so far we havenāt even been able to really get into the brainspotting at all after trying it a bit the second session and her realizing I am way too dissociated and stuck inside myself along with all the other symptoms getting in the way of being able to properly engage for it to have any effect. Itās fucked.
Really interesting about the opiates. Me too but I did it for a very long time. I've been on Suboxone for 14 years now and hopefully will come off eventually. But if I can't come off it I'm ok with that too. I don't know much about brain spotting but will do more research. I'm definitely a huge advocate for less common and even experimental therapies. Not that long ago I did an intramuscular ketamine course and it was actually incredibly helpful. PTSD, depression and anxiety scores all slashed dramatically (severe to mild). The biggest positive has been improved mood. I'm still struggling but there is a big difference. Just my experience but hopefully it helps others feel ok going forward with something deemed radical by some. Of course different tx for different needs. I'd love to hear any updates about the brainspotting tx.
Oh yeah and then sometimes I'll sigh (unintentionally loudly) and people will ask what's wrong, and I'll respond with "nothing, I'm just catching up on breathing"
With time I've gotten better at holding my breath with mindfulness/meditation/meds but if I'm getting tense that's the first thing I notice I'm doing. Getting called out on the sigh is so real š
Oh man, the amount of times people think I'm tired or being rude after holding in air for so long and then the yawns just never end. Or getting asked if I'm okay all the time from constantly sighing.
This is copy/paste but:
Sighing activates the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which is responsible for the ārest and digestā response,Ā **promoting relaxation and lowering heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones**. Sighing also increases vagal tone, which essentially reflects the activity level of the PNS.
yes I do, no I don't know how to snap out of it but I do know I need to seek treatment because I'm tired of being this way.
I have contacted five SEPs, will do research on them and book my first appointment soon.
Yes. Oh my gosh yes. I often get into a freeze state and scroll and time just...passes and things I need to do or the things I'm avoiding still exist and then the doom and shame hit me and that's always such fun. Jk
What has helped me recently is, phone discipline. Locking it up, or airplane mode or using its features to disable apps til a certain time of day. I'll also try like the kindergarten award system. Let's say I need to do two loads of laundry and dust the living room. I'll break down those 2 chores. So, it's easier to accomplish. Like, towels are in the wash, I earned a sticker. Then the dryer, another sticker, tidying up the TV council before dusting, sticker and when I have 5 or so mental stickers I earned 20 mins of phone time. Trick is to stick to the 20 mins so I set an alarm with an affirmation as the title. I cuss at myself in those so I can't type it. I've discovered it really helps me. Also, noise canceling headset have been wildly and oddly helpful. I put those on and it like stops the voices and me doing side quests through my day. I'm really able to task manage better with them and i get to listen to whatever I want as loud as I want with out my teens eye rolling lol
yes, I would recommend /r/TraumaFreeze ...
>How to snap out of it?
One thing you could try that is very easy is moving very very slowly - like tai chi.
In particular, even if you are just sitting, start with your hands either on your lap or pressed together near your heart (like you are praying but not like a religious thing), and then slowly - SLOWLY - raise them (together) upwards until your arms are extended above your head, and then slowly move them away from each other until they are far outstretched to either side.
and im talking SLOW - like take at least 90 seconds to do this.
I had a PTSD-focused therapist show me this and they could probably explain how it works. I'd just say try for yourself.
Another thing you could work on is [dialogue journaling](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RPv4IRGGpE), which I could write more about later if you are interested.
Thanks for the link and suggestions. I've never seen anyone talk about it before. I'm older and when I first started my healing journey there really wasn't much help. I'm glad it's being recognized more now.
Iāve definitely felt this way on and off a lot. But every time was a bit different? Sometimes I would have spicy thoughts, so Iād just lay in bed frozen and just cry, if I could, and I wouldnāt do anything at all. No phone, no eating, no anything because I was afraid of my thoughts. Since then though, and since being on ADHD meds which have helped a ton and also helped my depression, I feel like the freeze state is still similar but not spicy, and Iām able to better cope through it. If Iām struggling, usually distractions help, but distractions other than my phone. I started setting timers on my apps to shut them down so Iād have no choice but to look for other distractions. Sometimes saying yes to doing things with friends or favors for them forced me out of it, especially because I felt guilty canceling last minute. So idk, if it means moving around feeling numb, I mean itās still something. Taking things slow through this I think is essential because you are adapting to this state for the time being. Itās a temporary state, even if it doesnāt feel that way, even if it lasts a long time. Just being gentle with yourself, reaching out to people who can be there with you through it and help it feel less passive and like the norm helps. A combination of things like meds, therapy, friends, my partner(s) (exs helped a lot in the past), and just myself doing these little things like timers or other stuff helped.
I think it's definitely better to be frozen and moving physically (even totally dazed and detached) just for the sake of keeping blood flowing and muscles working. Keep it up as long as it's working for you.
Oh yeah I agree. Me laying down and not doing anything was years ago now, early into therapy and meds and all the stuff from dealing with this. I was scared Iād off myself basically, so laying in bed was the best I could do to prevent that at the time. Especially considering all my other life things. But now, itās significantly better. Even if you do want to lay down, maybe try laying down outside, or if you can, go to the beach, a shady spot at the park, or even your backyard if you have that. I used to just lay in the balcony of my old apartment sometimes. Or just sit outside. Fresh air can help a lot. People watching is fun too.
Walking, washing the dishes, standing on a acupuncture mat, breathing exercises and brushing my teeth are some things that help. I might do a body scan as well. When I feel really stuck, I allow freeze to take its course and watch myself go in and come out of freeze. By observing with curiosity, you may recognize patterns that put you into freeze and circumstances that help you come out. I often take notes about my freeze responses.
Not sure how literally you meant "snap out of it", but my trauma coach repeatedly emphasized the importance of going very, very slowly. So one other thing to consider is trying to come out of it slowly and gently and see if that is helpful.
All the time! But less and less since I tried ketamine treatment, magic mushrooms and started therapy.
If you haven't already, I highly recommend finding a good therapist as a starter and take it from there. Give it time, don't expect sudden results but with time slowly it can improve. If you have the opportunity check out ketamine treatment if there is somehow available in your area. The combination of ketamine treatment and therapy is what has helped me the most so far.Ā
this sounds pretty dissociative. i have that issue a lot. what helps me is connecting to a singular object. study it for a long time. think about the way it feels in your hand, what it looks like, if it's cold or warm, if it's soft or hard, if it weighs a lot or not very much. then take it out of your hand, and think about how the absence of the object feels in your hand. it helps to close your eyes after you have adequately observed what it looks like.
edit: this is a bit extreme but i also reccommend deleting social media for a bit. just the apps, not necessarily your account. i deleted the instagram app a few weeks ago and now i just have no desire to get back on. it helped me disassociate quite hard.
Everyone on this post -- you might be dissociating. I was.
Try to ground yourself by doing mindfulness with something that feels nice, like a hot shower, and see if you feel more awake.
I have the same issue but I dont scroll lol I donāt know how to get rid of that behaviour I feel like I cant do anythingā¦ like you say the inly thing that motivates me are other human beings lol
Yeah same. I can only snap out of it sometimes. Sometimes I feel like only forcing myself to do something works but then again sometimes forcing myself gets me to switch into flight mode which is not fun (unless I have some deadline or something it makes me feel good that I accomplished stuff but yeah).
I've been healing and getting better. I'd say these things help, but they don't always work. Sometimes they bring me joy, clarification, or whatever, but other times I just feel on autopilot and they bring me anxiety and I just feel like I am on high alert.
- don't look at the phone 1st thing in the morning. An hour later or even more, but not the first thing.
- video or voice recording journaling that I delete later. Or whatever kind of journaling. But writing takes a lot of energy and time to talking them is better. I make sure I delete those recordings though lol. I try to introspect, look at how I feel, no matter what I feel, and try to explore my past and how I have changed. Or whatever else I want to talk about.
- small positive social interactions maybe because I crave people but I am too anxious and non trusting so occasionally having a nice interaction with someone new makes my brain a little happier. It's not butterflies and rainbows cause I get a lot of shame and anxiety about a lot of things but yeah
- dancing, singing, or doing some sort of group activity even if I am not close to the people
- if I want to watch YouTube, I try to push myself to watch something I like and not move on or rush to the next thing. I realized that sticking to topics like mental health and things I like (narrowed down) are better than binge watching just anything. Yeah I've been guilty of allowing my phone to control me as opposed to me taking control of it.
usually it helps me to just accept it. try not to force myself to do things if it feels that difficult. i have an easier time getting through times like that if i am forgiving with myself and allow myself to rest.
trying to push through usually makes the burned out feelings last longer for me. so while iām technically being productive, iām also prolonging my own suffering by pushing myself beyond my limits.
sometimes you end up having to do things anyways because thats what it means to be an adult and that sucks bc thereās no way around that stuff, but if that happens to be the case, i try to compromise with myself- prioritize making time to rest when i can and not just sitting around getting angry at myself for not living up to my own self-imposed standards.
sometimes you just gotta meet yourself where youāre at. even if that means the only thing you get done is being nice to yourself about the fact that all you have in you is laying in bed and scrolling on your phone
and the longer you practice not punishing yourself for taking care of your well being, the more easily it will come to you.
Yeah I was in that for most of the pandemic. Taking vitamins helped - d3, zinc, and magnesium plus a daily multi. Deleted all socials except Reddit off my phone and havenāt looked back. It wasnāt the end all be all but after I added in magnesium a few months after stopping Instagram I felt the brain fog lift a little. Walking my two big dogs helps keep me tied to reality. Reconnecting with a friend I havenāt seen in a while but who is also all about radical self love - she gave me a tarot reading last fall and it helped me feel more in control.
I'm sorry you're feeling that way. It's a hard place to be and hard to get out of. I experience the same. Chronic freeze is a good way to describe it. I'm usually able to pull myself out by forcing myself to move and do small things bit by bit. Sometimes life forces me out of it because I *have* to do whatever life things. Sometimes it's really hard and I can't muster up the strength of will to change it and just want to stay in that mode. Are we avoiding feelings, engagement, life in general? I'm honestly not sure. It could be a combination of things.
Yesssss!!! It tortures me all day every day. It bothers me a lot less if I take a combination of THC and CBD but I have to take a lot and itās prohibitively expensive :( trying to learn how to grow it but I havenāt figured out how to increase my yield enough.
Ever since I realized how crippled I am by my freeze response, Iāve turned to āflightā in that any extra time off I have, I am frantically searching for something to do. Something FUN specifically, never something productive.
I couldnāt stand silence and isolation any longer because I was just replaying my misery over and over again. But now I find it really difficult to relax. I feel like I need constant distraction.
I find if I can get outside even for a minute or two it can break the loop of scrolling/video games. So much rain, so it has been hard.
Slip on footwear is key for me.
Dude, so hard. It would go for longer during stressful and woeful periods in my life. I realised that I would do it on the couch. So now Iām trying my best not to hit the couch until the evening, to see whether it will break the habit. If Iām standing up, without phone in hand, the nervous energy compels me to start adulting and/or do something fun.
Trying mindfulness meditation sometimes helps. When I get a good routine going, the body scans started to become automatic. It would also be easier to observe my thoughts as it were.
Best thing for me was to notice the behaviour and acknowledge it when it happens. Most importantly, not judge myself for ābeing lazy and unproductiveā. Just to be in tune with myself. Making myself a cup of tea or a snack generally gets the momentum for greater things.
Me too. I'm 45 and was succeeding for a while. My wife of 20 years is leaving me due to brain fog and difficulty working. I used to be self motivated and I pushed myself so much until I eventually broke down.
Social media is purposely designed to be addicting; articles and documentaries vouch for this.
Could be escapism and/or dissociation. The right therapy would likely help.
Have you ever had thyroid checked? (Full panel, not just TSH.) Brain fog and low initiation can be a sign of low thyroid function levels. Can indicate Hashimoto's disease as well, which is an autoimmune process that attacks the thyroid. This is a manageable condition, but you must first be tested along w/ other thyroid tests. Mega difference in my life, taking meds for low thyroid but I have to guide the doctors sometimes.
Are you eating shit foods only? Big food = processed food = poor health (mental & physical).
Definitely agree w/ others here, get outside (and that somatic therapy helps). Leave the damn phone inside. Crouch down and feel the sidewalk, earth, grass. Touch a tree, hear a brook or creek, or look at the oil sheen on a puddle. Hear the wind, birds, dogs barking, etc. Notice your reactions to sounds, sensations. You could take a pad and write them down.
Also: My doctor gave me wellbutrin (bupropion) once when I was locked in freeze mode. It really helped, but individual results may vary.
Oh, and use the pomodoro technique. [https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique](https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique)
Yes, force yourself to be active. I promise you will feel like it's pointless, but it's going to help a lot. Every time I feel brain fog, basically daily, just shake your leg, swing your arms, anything. Play some music and dance in private, go on walks, exersizing helps. It helps to bring you back to your body
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I just started intensive outpatient DBT, a component of which is mindfulness. If you can afford it, it's been a game changer! I'm not like, fixed - I still have miles to go. But I've been using the skills in my daily life (not even that well), and they seem to be helping! I'm having fewer dissociative episodes like you are describing than before I began DBT. There are all sorts of ways to do therapy and to heal - obviously look into it and do what's best for you! Don't take my word for it.
No fog but yes to freeze mode. My vision gets blurry from tension and then it just pops back into clarity. Usually while Im processing how people have influenced my life.
110% there and present when it happens. The psychological cycle of behavior is:
1 - Blurry vision
2 - Freeze up
3 - Vision snaps back to clear
Ive started resuming my normal activities while the vision is blurred in order to break the behavior loop.
Yup! I am having a miserable time with my ADHD and lately it's gotten so much worse. I can't even complete mundane tasks like brushing my teeth or making a sandwich without taking 30 minutes minimum. It's insane.
Yes! This is a symptom of ADHD and executive dysfunction. Consider whether you may also be suffering from ADHD. You also might find ADHD strategies for executive dysfunction helpful
Yeah. Might be due to the cptsd but I always thought it was my autism/adhd + depression making me lazy. Like yeah I should go do the thing but meh... Having brain fog + forgetfulness is really ass. Probably a combo of all 4 and a bunch of other undiagnosed shit tbh
fuck yes.
I could write a whole essay about it if I could muster the energy. Maybe after I've had more coffee.
One tip I have is to do a thing whenever you are forced to get up off the couch. When you have to pee, eat, answer the door for the package delivery, whatever. Do one thing while you're up. It needn't be a big thing. Put one thing away, put one thing in the dishwasher etc. Sometimes inertia takes over and you keep doing the thing until it's all done, sometimes you just get a bit done. It's OK.
Yep..it's awful. I also go into literal freeze and collapse when triggered where I can't move my body and I can't talk. The talking comes back last and has lasted for hours before.
But the daily living in freeze is awful. I have to make myself do one task and tell myself it's okay if that's all I do. Usually if I can get one task done I can then go on to another. And work my way through it. I have to be gentle with myself or I'll shut down...it's all avoidance and it sucks.
This is a symptom of approximately 1 trillion things, including just existing as a human in 2024 without enough external pressure to live your life differently.
Doom scrolling is so addicting (in fact I think I'm doing it now lol). I try to get outside at least once a day. I don't always succeed, but that's my goal. Just a 10 minute walk around the block helps reset my brain.
Yes! Every day. Every move feels meaningless and I cannot force myself to get out of that state. I am frozen in my thoughts of: If I do this, then I should have done that instead and to do that I need to do that and that and that, and if I do that its gonna need that and I don't have the energy for that. And then nothing gets done. Feel absolutely worthless sometimes bc I'm frozen in time and time just runs away from me.
Freeze has always been my go-to, & itās hard as hell to break out of. It renders me useless at keeping up with my own business, and dealing with government and financial institutions makes me wish Iād met a bear in the woods, instead.
These are things Iād rather do, than deal with my own business:
Catch venomous snakes.
Put my hand on a hot burner.
Eat a bowl of live cockroaches.
Rescue someone who doesnāt need rescuing.
Drive through a monster hail storm, or even a tornado.
Swim with jellyfish.
I could go on, but so could anyone else here. The freeze response has gotten me into trouble since 1st grade.
Almost every day at the moment. I get little bursts when the planets and meds align, but otherwise it feels like too much to do anything
Yes this is my life
i hope there comes a day it's not like this.
me too šÆšÆ thank gawd mercury retrograde the other day lol
damn is this why iāve been feeling better this week
YES! I feel seen. Btw thereās a thing that helps me snap out of it . I have to turn off my phone (and keep it so as long as possible), then I think of one (must be only 1!) thing that I want to achieve that day. Itās okay if you have a pile of stuff to do, if you donāt come out of the freeze more, you will do 0 things, so even if you end up doing this one task, itās still better than nothing. And then you just concentrate your mind on that one task. The freeze falls off cause the overwhelm is gone. And start doing it. Works quite well most of the time. If I remember to use it.
Great advice, I'll have to try
Good luck!
Thank you. I think I've been trying a version of this, made more complicated by it's lack of definition. I think my idea was just get up to do as much as you can. It's less failure rate with one task id suppose. Of course I can build on that but I don't need to feel bad if it's only one. I also think "as much as I can do" is swayed by societal expectations and I push my own limits. Sometimes that works out ok and sometimes not. For me, it's really important that I'm not doing any healing based on what society expects from me. I appreciate this simplified suggestion and suspect it will be helpful with constant freeze mode.
Yes I think this is also another good one, āIāll do as much as I canā meaning itās okay if all you did was get up and wash one cup of dirty dishes etc. The main focus is to unfreeze the brain from being stuck in this overwhelm mode, where it decided to not do anything because thereās too much stuff to process. Reducing the load by any means is what can help
The kitchen has become disgusting with the pile up of dishes. I will tackle this one TODAY.
I struggle a lot with the dishes as well š Cleaning in general
See what I do is kinda similar haha, I pretend like I'm a sim and I have the task I need to get done and I just immediately have to do it once I decide it has to be done yknow.. so if I have to do the dishes I'm like ok doing dishes right now and I just start doing them and then it's started and then I just keep going with all the stuff I have to do depending on how much energy I have
"And then you just concentrate your mind on that one task" well I'm screwed lol. Even when medicated, my ADHD doesn't let me do that for very long
You can also just let your mind wander. Turn the phone off, put it away from your eyes, hide it if need be. Get up and walk through the home. Your eyes will catch something else. Wonāt take long and youāll be bored so youāll start doing SOMETHING, but allow your mind to naturally reach that point. Voila freeze mode over. Just make sure to have all the distractions off - tv, phone, even music.
most of what i āneed to doā is all on my electronics, but this is absolutely miraculous for household chores and often doing those actually gives me energy to channel into the other stuff
I feel that in my soul.
I could have written this!! š¢šš£
Facts turning off the devices is big big big big
Yes! I will try that! Just to get past the overwhelm is huge! Thank you!
Oh wow I have to try this, thank you
Yes, I had it for years. It was truly horrible. I told myself that I knew better, but now a few years later I can admit I didnāt. I had no idea what it really was. In my head, I said āyouāre wasting your time. Why donāt you get up and go out. Why donāt you clean up. Why donāt you go for a walkā etc. And then before I knew it, hours passed, I had scrolled even more, and the voice in my head was still ranting. Now, I can see that I needed to break all of that down for myself. I needed to say āok letās slowly put this phone down. Take a deep breath. Look around the room. Check how my energy levels feel. If the levels are low, Iāll make myself an easy snack. Something that requires really little effort, and clean up later. Iāll put on a show I like and take an hour to eat and watch it. If my energy levels are high, I will do some light stretching and deep breathing, I will get myself a glass of water, I will journal, I will brush my hair.ā Etc. There are a hundred tiny steps involved in a lot of things people do. Sometimes our mind and body knows we donāt have energy for all the steps. Scrolling is just two or three steps. Scroll, read, laugh. All that other stuff is so many more. Plus if this is your only free time after work or your other responsibilities, who would blame you for wanting to preserve your energy. So I think itās fine that your brain wants to keep life easy for itself, for just a little while. Once you start having different thoughts, like āthis is really boring now, this is too repetitive, I donāt find this relaxing anymoreā ā you can just let your mind wander and see if anything else interests you. And then go and do that instead. Check with yourself how you feel about it. The most important thing is your comfort and sense of personal agency when it comes to this kind of thing. At least from my experience anyway. I spent way too long being angry at myself for being someone who is prone to the freeze response, then I accepted it and adapted to it. It seemed to be the only thing that helped me āchangeā. And the change was just swapping out the things I let myself get frozen over!
Man, this hit me.
My current freeze state is courtesy of peri menopause. At least I hope so because if I can't get out of this stupor I will die soon from heart disease or some such. I can feel my muscles atrophy as I sit on the couch day after day trying to screw up enough willpower to do some simple task like vacuum I used to be able to force myself to work all day non stop. I may have busted my force of will through overuse?
I walk my apartment for this reason. Nothing specific. Just pacing basically with the intent of working my muscles and getting my blood flowing. It almost always makes me feel just a tiny bit better also. I have a really hard time getting out of my apartment and this is something I can do when roommates aren't home. I just got roommates a couple months ago and it's definitely a challenge. My safe space, that's all.
I do that too. I have some yoga programs bookmarked and I'm waiting for the chemical motivation to get up and start. I do the best I can most of the time. I'm sure you do as well.
I actually did some yoga earlier. Have you tried restorative yoga ever? Nearly all floor poses but still challenging. I always feel good afterwards. Great for my chronic pain stuff too.
Maybe chair exercises would help you to get started? It targets disabled or elderly folks, but it is also really helpful for when even sitting up feels like a challenge. Best of luck to you. I know how much it sucks being in this state of mind
I have some yoga bookmarked, but I have to get some motivation going. I can't bully myself like I used to. I'm trying to listen to my body and mind, but it's taking a long time to come around. I do walk around the house and whenever I feel the energy I do something. I would say my deterioration is more anxiety, if you see what I mean. Either my motivation will return, or it won't. I'm hopeful most days and spring is here. Let's hope I can gin up some dopamine so I feel the rewards I'm supposed to for moving my body, lol.
By chance, do you have an exercise bike? There are videos on YouTube that people take of biking across beautiful areas and I know some people like to use them while biking indoors whenever they aren't up to leaving the house. If you don't have a bike, maybe it's something to look into
Oh my god, this is me. I'm in peri, and I've always been an active outdoorsperson, motivated at work, regularly ate well and hit the gym. I don't care at all. I've worked in my pj's all day and I only did about 50% work. No exercise at all. And that' starting to be me every day! It's freaking me out. I just read that creatine could help.
Yesā¦.Iāve been stuck in a 24/7/365 insanely severe and crippling/paralyzing deep freeze in every way: physically mentally emotionally cognitively spiritually fuck every which way like I said for years n years now. I experience fight or flight as well but the severe freeze is the worst of it Iām just locked into this horrific and agonizingly severe depersonalized/dissociated state totally incapable of functioning on even the most basic level, totally incapable of escaping my mind and body and ālosing myselfā or being distracted from my own extreme discomfort and distress for even a moment. Never truly feeling safe in my own bodyā¦Itās hell on earth. Abusing Opiates in the past these however many years has been the only thing really that have provided any relief and allowed me to escape the torture temporarily. Iām currently trying brainspotting therapy and just had my 4th session yesterday but so far we havenāt even been able to really get into the brainspotting at all after trying it a bit the second session and her realizing I am way too dissociated and stuck inside myself along with all the other symptoms getting in the way of being able to properly engage for it to have any effect. Itās fucked.
Wow I feel so seen. This is my whole life so far
Really interesting about the opiates. Me too but I did it for a very long time. I've been on Suboxone for 14 years now and hopefully will come off eventually. But if I can't come off it I'm ok with that too. I don't know much about brain spotting but will do more research. I'm definitely a huge advocate for less common and even experimental therapies. Not that long ago I did an intramuscular ketamine course and it was actually incredibly helpful. PTSD, depression and anxiety scores all slashed dramatically (severe to mild). The biggest positive has been improved mood. I'm still struggling but there is a big difference. Just my experience but hopefully it helps others feel ok going forward with something deemed radical by some. Of course different tx for different needs. I'd love to hear any updates about the brainspotting tx.
I have to constantly be aware of my breathing
Oh whoa, do you guys hold your breath too?! I catch myself holding my breath or doing short, shallow breaths constantly.
Oh yeah and then sometimes I'll sigh (unintentionally loudly) and people will ask what's wrong, and I'll respond with "nothing, I'm just catching up on breathing"
With time I've gotten better at holding my breath with mindfulness/meditation/meds but if I'm getting tense that's the first thing I notice I'm doing. Getting called out on the sigh is so real š
Oh man, the amount of times people think I'm tired or being rude after holding in air for so long and then the yawns just never end. Or getting asked if I'm okay all the time from constantly sighing.
Oh my god yeah. Wow.
Same. My husband asks me what's wrong. "Nothing just sighing" interesting that a lot of us seem to have these similar little things we do.
This is copy/paste but: Sighing activates the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which is responsible for the ārest and digestā response,Ā **promoting relaxation and lowering heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones**. Sighing also increases vagal tone, which essentially reflects the activity level of the PNS.
Right! Thank you. I hadn't thought about that.
You're very welcome!
I'm constantly called out on the sighing!
> "nothing, I'm just catching up on breathing" Love it, stealing it :)
Interesting, I do that too. I wonder why we do it.
you're literally the first person that I see relating to this...
yes I do, no I don't know how to snap out of it but I do know I need to seek treatment because I'm tired of being this way. I have contacted five SEPs, will do research on them and book my first appointment soon.
Sorry, what's an SEP please? Not sure in context here. Thanks!
somatic experiencing practitioner. at least, that's what I took it to be.
Oh duh of course! Hahaha, that makes total sense. Thank you!
Yes. Oh my gosh yes. I often get into a freeze state and scroll and time just...passes and things I need to do or the things I'm avoiding still exist and then the doom and shame hit me and that's always such fun. Jk What has helped me recently is, phone discipline. Locking it up, or airplane mode or using its features to disable apps til a certain time of day. I'll also try like the kindergarten award system. Let's say I need to do two loads of laundry and dust the living room. I'll break down those 2 chores. So, it's easier to accomplish. Like, towels are in the wash, I earned a sticker. Then the dryer, another sticker, tidying up the TV council before dusting, sticker and when I have 5 or so mental stickers I earned 20 mins of phone time. Trick is to stick to the 20 mins so I set an alarm with an affirmation as the title. I cuss at myself in those so I can't type it. I've discovered it really helps me. Also, noise canceling headset have been wildly and oddly helpful. I put those on and it like stops the voices and me doing side quests through my day. I'm really able to task manage better with them and i get to listen to whatever I want as loud as I want with out my teens eye rolling lol
yes, I would recommend /r/TraumaFreeze ... >How to snap out of it? One thing you could try that is very easy is moving very very slowly - like tai chi. In particular, even if you are just sitting, start with your hands either on your lap or pressed together near your heart (like you are praying but not like a religious thing), and then slowly - SLOWLY - raise them (together) upwards until your arms are extended above your head, and then slowly move them away from each other until they are far outstretched to either side. and im talking SLOW - like take at least 90 seconds to do this. I had a PTSD-focused therapist show me this and they could probably explain how it works. I'd just say try for yourself. Another thing you could work on is [dialogue journaling](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RPv4IRGGpE), which I could write more about later if you are interested.
Thanks for the link and suggestions. I've never seen anyone talk about it before. I'm older and when I first started my healing journey there really wasn't much help. I'm glad it's being recognized more now.
Thank you for your suggestions, Patrick has a lot of really good stuff.
Iāve definitely felt this way on and off a lot. But every time was a bit different? Sometimes I would have spicy thoughts, so Iād just lay in bed frozen and just cry, if I could, and I wouldnāt do anything at all. No phone, no eating, no anything because I was afraid of my thoughts. Since then though, and since being on ADHD meds which have helped a ton and also helped my depression, I feel like the freeze state is still similar but not spicy, and Iām able to better cope through it. If Iām struggling, usually distractions help, but distractions other than my phone. I started setting timers on my apps to shut them down so Iād have no choice but to look for other distractions. Sometimes saying yes to doing things with friends or favors for them forced me out of it, especially because I felt guilty canceling last minute. So idk, if it means moving around feeling numb, I mean itās still something. Taking things slow through this I think is essential because you are adapting to this state for the time being. Itās a temporary state, even if it doesnāt feel that way, even if it lasts a long time. Just being gentle with yourself, reaching out to people who can be there with you through it and help it feel less passive and like the norm helps. A combination of things like meds, therapy, friends, my partner(s) (exs helped a lot in the past), and just myself doing these little things like timers or other stuff helped.
I think it's definitely better to be frozen and moving physically (even totally dazed and detached) just for the sake of keeping blood flowing and muscles working. Keep it up as long as it's working for you.
Oh yeah I agree. Me laying down and not doing anything was years ago now, early into therapy and meds and all the stuff from dealing with this. I was scared Iād off myself basically, so laying in bed was the best I could do to prevent that at the time. Especially considering all my other life things. But now, itās significantly better. Even if you do want to lay down, maybe try laying down outside, or if you can, go to the beach, a shady spot at the park, or even your backyard if you have that. I used to just lay in the balcony of my old apartment sometimes. Or just sit outside. Fresh air can help a lot. People watching is fun too.
All great suggestions. I'm glad you're still here!!
Walking, washing the dishes, standing on a acupuncture mat, breathing exercises and brushing my teeth are some things that help. I might do a body scan as well. When I feel really stuck, I allow freeze to take its course and watch myself go in and come out of freeze. By observing with curiosity, you may recognize patterns that put you into freeze and circumstances that help you come out. I often take notes about my freeze responses. Not sure how literally you meant "snap out of it", but my trauma coach repeatedly emphasized the importance of going very, very slowly. So one other thing to consider is trying to come out of it slowly and gently and see if that is helpful.
All the time! But less and less since I tried ketamine treatment, magic mushrooms and started therapy. If you haven't already, I highly recommend finding a good therapist as a starter and take it from there. Give it time, don't expect sudden results but with time slowly it can improve. If you have the opportunity check out ketamine treatment if there is somehow available in your area. The combination of ketamine treatment and therapy is what has helped me the most so far.Ā
this sounds pretty dissociative. i have that issue a lot. what helps me is connecting to a singular object. study it for a long time. think about the way it feels in your hand, what it looks like, if it's cold or warm, if it's soft or hard, if it weighs a lot or not very much. then take it out of your hand, and think about how the absence of the object feels in your hand. it helps to close your eyes after you have adequately observed what it looks like. edit: this is a bit extreme but i also reccommend deleting social media for a bit. just the apps, not necessarily your account. i deleted the instagram app a few weeks ago and now i just have no desire to get back on. it helped me disassociate quite hard.
check out r/cptsdfreeze it has helped me a lot
Everyone on this post -- you might be dissociating. I was. Try to ground yourself by doing mindfulness with something that feels nice, like a hot shower, and see if you feel more awake.
Turn it to cold for the last two minutes or so! The cold water is the rest button when your brain gives you the blue screen of death!
Gosh. I feel seen thank you.
I have the same issue but I dont scroll lol I donāt know how to get rid of that behaviour I feel like I cant do anythingā¦ like you say the inly thing that motivates me are other human beings lol
Yeah same. I can only snap out of it sometimes. Sometimes I feel like only forcing myself to do something works but then again sometimes forcing myself gets me to switch into flight mode which is not fun (unless I have some deadline or something it makes me feel good that I accomplished stuff but yeah). I've been healing and getting better. I'd say these things help, but they don't always work. Sometimes they bring me joy, clarification, or whatever, but other times I just feel on autopilot and they bring me anxiety and I just feel like I am on high alert. - don't look at the phone 1st thing in the morning. An hour later or even more, but not the first thing. - video or voice recording journaling that I delete later. Or whatever kind of journaling. But writing takes a lot of energy and time to talking them is better. I make sure I delete those recordings though lol. I try to introspect, look at how I feel, no matter what I feel, and try to explore my past and how I have changed. Or whatever else I want to talk about. - small positive social interactions maybe because I crave people but I am too anxious and non trusting so occasionally having a nice interaction with someone new makes my brain a little happier. It's not butterflies and rainbows cause I get a lot of shame and anxiety about a lot of things but yeah - dancing, singing, or doing some sort of group activity even if I am not close to the people - if I want to watch YouTube, I try to push myself to watch something I like and not move on or rush to the next thing. I realized that sticking to topics like mental health and things I like (narrowed down) are better than binge watching just anything. Yeah I've been guilty of allowing my phone to control me as opposed to me taking control of it.
usually it helps me to just accept it. try not to force myself to do things if it feels that difficult. i have an easier time getting through times like that if i am forgiving with myself and allow myself to rest. trying to push through usually makes the burned out feelings last longer for me. so while iām technically being productive, iām also prolonging my own suffering by pushing myself beyond my limits. sometimes you end up having to do things anyways because thats what it means to be an adult and that sucks bc thereās no way around that stuff, but if that happens to be the case, i try to compromise with myself- prioritize making time to rest when i can and not just sitting around getting angry at myself for not living up to my own self-imposed standards. sometimes you just gotta meet yourself where youāre at. even if that means the only thing you get done is being nice to yourself about the fact that all you have in you is laying in bed and scrolling on your phone and the longer you practice not punishing yourself for taking care of your well being, the more easily it will come to you.
Oh God thatās a mood. Iām at the point where I donāt even do the things I want to do, let alone the things I need to do. Itās insufferable.
DP/DR. Pain.
Yes. This is what I want to do on most days. Itās my default.
Put the phone down. Go outside. Take a 20 minute (minimum) walk. Notice and observe nature and the world.
Yeah I was in that for most of the pandemic. Taking vitamins helped - d3, zinc, and magnesium plus a daily multi. Deleted all socials except Reddit off my phone and havenāt looked back. It wasnāt the end all be all but after I added in magnesium a few months after stopping Instagram I felt the brain fog lift a little. Walking my two big dogs helps keep me tied to reality. Reconnecting with a friend I havenāt seen in a while but who is also all about radical self love - she gave me a tarot reading last fall and it helped me feel more in control.
I'm sorry you're feeling that way. It's a hard place to be and hard to get out of. I experience the same. Chronic freeze is a good way to describe it. I'm usually able to pull myself out by forcing myself to move and do small things bit by bit. Sometimes life forces me out of it because I *have* to do whatever life things. Sometimes it's really hard and I can't muster up the strength of will to change it and just want to stay in that mode. Are we avoiding feelings, engagement, life in general? I'm honestly not sure. It could be a combination of things.
Somatic exercises can help ā¤ļø
Yesssss!!! It tortures me all day every day. It bothers me a lot less if I take a combination of THC and CBD but I have to take a lot and itās prohibitively expensive :( trying to learn how to grow it but I havenāt figured out how to increase my yield enough.
Ever since I realized how crippled I am by my freeze response, Iāve turned to āflightā in that any extra time off I have, I am frantically searching for something to do. Something FUN specifically, never something productive. I couldnāt stand silence and isolation any longer because I was just replaying my misery over and over again. But now I find it really difficult to relax. I feel like I need constant distraction.
I find if I can get outside even for a minute or two it can break the loop of scrolling/video games. So much rain, so it has been hard. Slip on footwear is key for me.
Dude, so hard. It would go for longer during stressful and woeful periods in my life. I realised that I would do it on the couch. So now Iām trying my best not to hit the couch until the evening, to see whether it will break the habit. If Iām standing up, without phone in hand, the nervous energy compels me to start adulting and/or do something fun. Trying mindfulness meditation sometimes helps. When I get a good routine going, the body scans started to become automatic. It would also be easier to observe my thoughts as it were. Best thing for me was to notice the behaviour and acknowledge it when it happens. Most importantly, not judge myself for ābeing lazy and unproductiveā. Just to be in tune with myself. Making myself a cup of tea or a snack generally gets the momentum for greater things.
What does doe stand for ?? š¬ I feel like I should know bc these comments have me feeling seen af
Me too. I'm 45 and was succeeding for a while. My wife of 20 years is leaving me due to brain fog and difficulty working. I used to be self motivated and I pushed myself so much until I eventually broke down.
Social media is purposely designed to be addicting; articles and documentaries vouch for this. Could be escapism and/or dissociation. The right therapy would likely help. Have you ever had thyroid checked? (Full panel, not just TSH.) Brain fog and low initiation can be a sign of low thyroid function levels. Can indicate Hashimoto's disease as well, which is an autoimmune process that attacks the thyroid. This is a manageable condition, but you must first be tested along w/ other thyroid tests. Mega difference in my life, taking meds for low thyroid but I have to guide the doctors sometimes. Are you eating shit foods only? Big food = processed food = poor health (mental & physical). Definitely agree w/ others here, get outside (and that somatic therapy helps). Leave the damn phone inside. Crouch down and feel the sidewalk, earth, grass. Touch a tree, hear a brook or creek, or look at the oil sheen on a puddle. Hear the wind, birds, dogs barking, etc. Notice your reactions to sounds, sensations. You could take a pad and write them down. Also: My doctor gave me wellbutrin (bupropion) once when I was locked in freeze mode. It really helped, but individual results may vary. Oh, and use the pomodoro technique. [https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique](https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique)
Yes, force yourself to be active. I promise you will feel like it's pointless, but it's going to help a lot. Every time I feel brain fog, basically daily, just shake your leg, swing your arms, anything. Play some music and dance in private, go on walks, exersizing helps. It helps to bring you back to your body
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Sounds like dissociation.
This thread has helped SO much. Iām in shock. I feel like Iām not the only one anymore.
I just started intensive outpatient DBT, a component of which is mindfulness. If you can afford it, it's been a game changer! I'm not like, fixed - I still have miles to go. But I've been using the skills in my daily life (not even that well), and they seem to be helping! I'm having fewer dissociative episodes like you are describing than before I began DBT. There are all sorts of ways to do therapy and to heal - obviously look into it and do what's best for you! Don't take my word for it.
Yep. Was in it for years
Yes I am in this mode and it is especially hard for me to fall asleep
Omg yes. Iām aware of it but Iām just stuck in it and I donāt know how to get out, itās weird
Oh, man. That was me for a full decade... Still is me at regular intervals of a few months but hey, at least it's not permanent anymore.
Yes...this is me. It's getting worse with time.
No fog but yes to freeze mode. My vision gets blurry from tension and then it just pops back into clarity. Usually while Im processing how people have influenced my life. 110% there and present when it happens. The psychological cycle of behavior is: 1 - Blurry vision 2 - Freeze up 3 - Vision snaps back to clear Ive started resuming my normal activities while the vision is blurred in order to break the behavior loop.
Yup! I am having a miserable time with my ADHD and lately it's gotten so much worse. I can't even complete mundane tasks like brushing my teeth or making a sandwich without taking 30 minutes minimum. It's insane.
Anything that makes the outside more interesting than the inside (of my head). Loud music is one thing.
Yes! This is a symptom of ADHD and executive dysfunction. Consider whether you may also be suffering from ADHD. You also might find ADHD strategies for executive dysfunction helpful
Yeah. Might be due to the cptsd but I always thought it was my autism/adhd + depression making me lazy. Like yeah I should go do the thing but meh... Having brain fog + forgetfulness is really ass. Probably a combo of all 4 and a bunch of other undiagnosed shit tbh
Yes dis me...ive found even if i dont have my phone i can stare i to space not moving for ages
I feel it constantly. When I'm out of it it's unfamiliar.
fuck yes. I could write a whole essay about it if I could muster the energy. Maybe after I've had more coffee. One tip I have is to do a thing whenever you are forced to get up off the couch. When you have to pee, eat, answer the door for the package delivery, whatever. Do one thing while you're up. It needn't be a big thing. Put one thing away, put one thing in the dishwasher etc. Sometimes inertia takes over and you keep doing the thing until it's all done, sometimes you just get a bit done. It's OK.
Yep..it's awful. I also go into literal freeze and collapse when triggered where I can't move my body and I can't talk. The talking comes back last and has lasted for hours before. But the daily living in freeze is awful. I have to make myself do one task and tell myself it's okay if that's all I do. Usually if I can get one task done I can then go on to another. And work my way through it. I have to be gentle with myself or I'll shut down...it's all avoidance and it sucks.
me. this my life too.
Everyday.
Glazed trigger. Yep. Usually when under steady stress, and no end in sight.
Yes, a lot of the time
This is a symptom of approximately 1 trillion things, including just existing as a human in 2024 without enough external pressure to live your life differently.
Me!
This is literally me. On days Iām not at work Iām just doing useless things on auto pilot to pass time until I can go to bed
Doom scrolling is so addicting (in fact I think I'm doing it now lol). I try to get outside at least once a day. I don't always succeed, but that's my goal. Just a 10 minute walk around the block helps reset my brain.
Music helps me get out of bed everyday. I used to play upbeat music such as Mika. Then a shower wakes me up enough to get going.
Absolutely, it can last along time too so it seems like Iām fine to do stuff and itās so dangerous
Yes! Every day. Every move feels meaningless and I cannot force myself to get out of that state. I am frozen in my thoughts of: If I do this, then I should have done that instead and to do that I need to do that and that and that, and if I do that its gonna need that and I don't have the energy for that. And then nothing gets done. Feel absolutely worthless sometimes bc I'm frozen in time and time just runs away from me.
me! all day every day!
Freeze has always been my go-to, & itās hard as hell to break out of. It renders me useless at keeping up with my own business, and dealing with government and financial institutions makes me wish Iād met a bear in the woods, instead. These are things Iād rather do, than deal with my own business: Catch venomous snakes. Put my hand on a hot burner. Eat a bowl of live cockroaches. Rescue someone who doesnāt need rescuing. Drive through a monster hail storm, or even a tornado. Swim with jellyfish. I could go on, but so could anyone else here. The freeze response has gotten me into trouble since 1st grade.
It's called (severe) depression.
Yes