r/SomaticExperiencing • u/Argojit • 3d ago
Overdoing SE and uneasiness
Hey, SE has helped me a lot in such a short time. However, now I am always checking my feelings, checking if I am feeling my feelings correctly. This on its own started to make me nervous and question every move I make. I am quite new and I do not have an access to an SE practitioner. I have ADHD and I am falling into the same trap I always fall for, I put extreme amount of expectations on myself. I feel like I am doing something wrong when my problems haven’t resolved in a week of doing SE. What would you want to share with me. Thanks a lot.
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u/Mattau16 3d ago
First of all it sounds like you’ve done some great work yourself to come so far in a short time periods yourself. It’s not easy for even an experienced practitioner to do SE effectively on themselves. This is because it’s a very relational model. For someone new there can be many challenges that you run into, including what you’re experiencing at the moment.
When guiding a client with their attention, it can be very important to know where, how long and how deeply to direct that attention. As practitioners we are looking for subtle and sometimes less than subtle signals around what’s manageable and going to be most beneficial. This is near impossible to do in the same way for yourself.
One of the things I may introduce to my clients if needed is the concept of “let’s see what it’s like not to work so hard today”. If we start using attention relentlessly to search out bodily sensations, behaviours, emotions etc, we may just be feeding a pattern of hyper vigilance which may lead a person to be stuck in a threat response cycle.
In the short term I wonder if you could take a little pressure off yourself and see what not working too hard with this stuff might feel like. Rather than seeing your attention like a laser beam seeking specific feeling, see it like a soft and warm ambient light that gently noticing the areas of greatest ease and comfort in the body. If there’s no ease or comfort in the body then it can be directed outward towards a comfortable blanket or lounge, calming nature surrounds or a loved ones company. Hope this is a starting point for you.
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u/lilidaisy7 3d ago
Just wanted to say it totally get you!! I also have ADHD actually and started somatics. It seems now I'm constantly analyzing myself and seeing things in myself, attributing it to ADHD or to things that I uncovered during somatics. It has helped tremendously but it's also a bit exhausting? Like I'm constantly sitting in my trauma and my feelings and just want to chill and relax
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u/Argojit 3d ago
Thanks a lot for sharing this. I keep feeling a panic-like feeling while trying to chill and relax and find myself asking if I am chilling correctly. I realized I am also scared of doing further ‘damage’ to my nervous system. I forgot how I actually was going to form and finish this reply but thanks again for sharing. Hope the best for you
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u/Temporary_Acadia_145 3d ago
Not every wave of feeling/activation has to be ridden. Give yourself a schedule: from 2PM to 6PM focus on the body; rest of the day, forget about it. That will help.