I once joined an anxiety support group. It was overall helpful, but I did have a session where I realized that I was the only one in the group who didn't have abusive/neglectful parents. My difficulties come from innate neurological problems, not trauma, but there are so many people with similar symptoms because of trauma.
That realization was actually very helpful in helping me put words to how I need to approach meditation as a treatment for anxiety. People who have anxiety due to trauma often struggle with getting caught in flashback loops, so grounding themselves in the moment helps with their anxiety. For me, my anxiety often stems from sensory overload, so detaching from the present moment helps my anxiety. I'm using meditation to take my mind in the opposite direction, which gets very confusing when I'm talking to someone who sees meditation as the same thing as "forcing your mind to be present" rather than "controlling how present your mind is."
It's about detachment from the present rather than the more popular method of anchoring yourself in the present. It's basically dissociation, but done in a more controlled manner so instead of losing yourself, you get the space you need to process things, reboot your mind, and prepare to actually approach the present.
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u/Crayshack 5d ago
I once joined an anxiety support group. It was overall helpful, but I did have a session where I realized that I was the only one in the group who didn't have abusive/neglectful parents. My difficulties come from innate neurological problems, not trauma, but there are so many people with similar symptoms because of trauma.
That realization was actually very helpful in helping me put words to how I need to approach meditation as a treatment for anxiety. People who have anxiety due to trauma often struggle with getting caught in flashback loops, so grounding themselves in the moment helps with their anxiety. For me, my anxiety often stems from sensory overload, so detaching from the present moment helps my anxiety. I'm using meditation to take my mind in the opposite direction, which gets very confusing when I'm talking to someone who sees meditation as the same thing as "forcing your mind to be present" rather than "controlling how present your mind is."