Past Problems

by Kierston
(Iowa)

Okay so this is kind of weird but here goes. Im 19 years old and ive had anxiety and depression since the age of 12. In junior high I went through an EXTREMELY difficult time in my depression, and during this time i tried to find certain things to cheer me up, this included movies and tv shows. I am now medicated and a lot happier but all those things i used to make me feel better, have become extremely hard for me to even think about. I've tried to distance myself from these things but when i say 'no i cant watch Degrassi anymore cause ill have a panic attack and cry for an hour'. Is there ANYTHING i can do about this? Ill try anything. Thank you.

Ben's Response:

Well, the easy answer would be to not watch those shows or movies. But if you really want to get rid of this problem, you have to recognize that these shows are triggers that take you back to that very difficult time of your life. It can be a sort of traumatic experience to go through depression and anxiety, especially when you are young. Anything that you associate with that time, could potentially trigger the memory of those feelings.

The best thing that I have found for trauma, and for neutralizing triggers that bring up trauma memories, is EFT Tapping. By putting your mind on the triggering thought (the TV show for example), and verbalizing that in some way to bring it up, while tapping the pressure points in the EFT sequence, you eliminate the emotional reaction to that thought or trigger.

This may require some systematic work on these things. It's not usually as simple as just a couple minutes of tapping (but sometimes it is). If you have trouble on your own, I suggest finding a good EFT practitioner that can guide you though the process. It can make a huge difference.

Take Care,
Ben