Hypoarousal is another defence mechanism. It feels like exhaustion, numbness, feeling disconnected from everything and everyone, like you are in a dream. You may want to sleep a lot, eat little and feel quite numb and dissociated. It can be …
How to Decrease Hyperarousal
Hyperarousal is when there is excessive energy that often expresses as anxiety, panic, feeling out of control and wanting to run away. When this happens, it is difficult to relax as our body has gone into fight or flight mode. …
Signs Of Hyperarousal
As we move through life most of the time we are within a safe range of arousal, which means a state where we can function well as a human being. We are able to self-regulate, we feel grounded, present and …
What is the Window of Tolerance?
The widow of tolerance is a phrase first used by Dr. Dan Siegel to describe the arousal state in which a person can best function, where they feel they can manage life. When you are within the window of tolerance, …
How to Break the Self-Betrayal Pattern
Little self-betrayals become a habit. It is in the little moments where our natural reaction is to say yes, when really, the right answer for us at that time is no. Self-betrayals happen when we don’t take the time and …
Self-Betrayal is a Form of Inner Disconnection
When your needs as a child have not been met, there has been abuse or neglect, a disconnect forms internally with the inner knowing of what you need in any given moment. This makes self-care very difficult as you have …
What is Self Betrayal?
When we grow up with parents who are abusive or neglectful, we quickly learn to ignore our own needs. Maybe it is dangerous to express our needs, or when we do, they are ignored. The result is a deep disconnect …
Protective Factors For Suicide
With suicide being the leading cause of death for Australians from ages 15 to 44, it is important we are all aware of the protective factors. If you read through this list and see that you are weak in some …
How To Have A Conversation With Someone You Are Worried About
Here is a great pocket guide for ‘how to have that conversation’. Above are the DO’s and here are the DO NOT’s: DON’T try to talk them out of suicide. DON’T try to fix their problem. Just listen with openness …
A Suicide Attempt Is Not ‘Attention Seeking Behaviour’
It can be confronting to sit and hold space for someone who is feeling suicidal. We have to manage our own feelings as well as hold space for their feelings. Before I had training in suicide prevention, I thought that …