I was having a conversation with this morning, and I expressed that - in a current state of lower mood, generally - I'm torn on mood regulation/meditaiton, I often express strong skepticism, but I also credit it with saving my life.
Conversation
primarily for the reason that (depending on technique, etc) it can shred through the chain of narratives which massively perpetuate and exacerbate mood stuff. eg: suicidal ideation goes from being a massive problem to no problem at all.
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If I may: has your awakening impacted your mood regulation, and how you relate to mood fluctuations? Any impact +/-?
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First, let's note that I used to be very emotionally inhibited.
My mother was abused as a child, and my father most likely has undiagnosed Asperger's.
They're both good people, and did their best raising me, but the emotional side was often compromised in very damaging ways.
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I've always been quick to anger, but for years I just... wouldn't get angry.
People are often accused of throwing up anger to disguise fear, but for me it was the opposite: I'd get scared to avoid getting angry.
Anger got me into bad situations at home.
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After my real awakenings started, I suddenly started feeling angry again. It would just appear, like lightning.
A woman once told me the story of how as a child, she was taught not to cry. When in her teens she learned it was OK, at first she'd cry all the time. This? Like that.
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Then it turned out because I was avoiding anger, I was also avoiding a whole cluster of other feelings that would provoke anger.
Sad because I felt like someone had let me down? Numb that. Frightened because I was asked to clean up someone else's mess? Avoid.
I don't know if you do any fishing. I used to do that as a kid.
If you get the hook tangled, say in some reeds, sometimes it just disappears. Other times, you have to struggle endlessly until eventually, the entire damned cluster of shit emerges from the water. This? Like that.
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Just tiny things, reminders of past indignities, would trigger all sorts of weird, embodied feelings.
Stuff I'd only realize was there when something mildly ticked me off.
And then the whole tangle would emerge from the water, soggy and dripping brackish water onto everything.
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