When the mind catastrophizes
I had a hard time because nothing seemed to make the loops go away. They were persistent, severe, and catastrophic. Worst possible scenario. Worst possible interpretation. I obsessed over specific things like losing time, losing time with my kids, finances, where I lived, and other circumstances.
I also looped on bigger fears. Will I ever heal. Am I a terrible person. Maybe I am permanently damaged. Maybe I ruined my life. Maybe I have permanent brain damage and will never recover. Maybe I have some kind of permanent, terrible disorder. These negative, catastrophic views of myself and my life would loop and loop.
I’m now offering coaching sessions for those going through withdrawal. If you’d like someone to walk with you through this season, I would love to meet with you. My withdrawal was brutal. I know how dark it can get. I also know how real healing is. I’m now in a place of joy, health, and full life, and I want to support you on your way there.
👉 Go here to see my calendar and schedule a session
Name it as a symptom
This is a symptom in withdrawal. If you are experiencing it, it is a symptom. It is not you. You are right that it is not normal. It is terrible. I hated the looping thoughts.
Inputs that help the brain
You cannot snap your fingers and make it vanish, so the question becomes how to work with it while you still heal. Part of it is exposing yourself to positive thinking and positive interpretations. The kind of stuff you cannot generate right now.
Think of your brain as starving for something good. Keep exposing it to encouraging interpretations, ideas, and possibilities. Even if it does not feel believable yet, it still helps. Reading success stories helps. Watching someone who has healed helps. Any real positive outcome gives your brain a different way to interpret your situation than the garbage withdrawal is telling you.
At the same time as the negative thinking, repeat positive, truthful, helpful lines to yourself. It can feel insurmountable because the negative feels convincing. In withdrawal you are not fully in touch with reality, so choose trustworthy sources outside yourself to help anchor reality. People who have survived this. Encouraging people who care about you. Surround yourself with that to stay resilient.
Borrowing hope
My husband and friends would disagree with my negative interpretations. They offered counter perspectives I could not generate. You could actually heal from this and be doing well soon. Finances recover. Life continues after this. I repeated their perspective to myself until I needed reassurance again.
I call it borrowing hope. If you do not have it, borrow it. As you start to see windows, as symptoms drop, as you get more of a grasp on reality, the hopeful view becomes believable. You realize they were right. Things can work out. You can feel better. Until then, borrow belief from others.
That hope can come from videos, supportive channels, coaches, people in a withdrawal group, healing buddies, or a loved one who tells you the truth and encourages you. Be willing to receive it. It can make a real difference as you heal.
Hold on to the trajectory
You are on a healing trajectory. This resolves even if it feels agonizing. Sometimes things get worse in our bodies before they get better, then there is a break and relief. Your body resolves and your mind thinks more clearly. You move forward and can enjoy life again. Hold on to hope. You may be enjoying life again very soon.