Anxiety and fear - can we out think the neurodivergent brain?

Many neurodivergent clients are experiencing panic, fear, anxiety and this can be difficult to manage.

We are very analytical brains and often are trying to outthink the panic.

One thing I learned to help and now I help clients to learn is what is happening when we panic.

The brain and body are trying to protect us from something and using the very primitive resources we still have from when we first evolved, we have a rush of adrenaline to survive.

This stress chemical of adrenaline enables the heart to beat faster, the blood to pump to the limbs quicker and our muscles are ready to fight, flight or freeze.

This is great if we are actually needed to run away or fight something or somebody, but most of the time the threat that we are sensing is not real or it has come from our thought patterns. As neurodivergent folk we have a lot to work from, in terms of thoughts of what could happen or draw on memories of what has happened that was scary or unpleasant in the past.

Here is where the shift is. It is simpler to use the body as the solution rather than our thoughts.

Find ways to alter your sensory experiences, a soft texture, a soothing smell, a familiar taste, weighted pressure or movement of the body.

These experiences then show the nervous system you are safe, then the thoughts become clearer and a more rational way of seeing things becomes possible.