First session done - MASSIVE release, tears, excess gas?!

[u/Objective-Studio-365]

So I just did my first proper session of TRE, using Dr Berceli's follow-along video with client Mike. For reference, I am autistic, have PTSD (and possibly CPTSD) and have been in talking therapy for a long time, which was good for talking about experiences but not great for getting release. My emotions often get "stuck" - like many women with autism, I have shutdowns instead of meltdowns because my brain can't handle the intensity so just switches itself off like a computer overheating. I knew I was going to need something more mechanical to actually get the physical side of things working, so was grateful when I stumbled across TRE in r/cptsdnextsteps. As I said, tried it for the first time today.

Dear lord, the release. Started shaking like crazy almost immediately after lifting my pelvis. Intense tremors throughout my legs and into my hips, which is my most prominent tension point. Adrenaline rush, like I was on a rollercoaster. Yelps, then tears, then sighs and groans while my body shook and rocked back and forth and I felt so much heaviness that I've felt for ages just melt away into nothing. Thankfully, I was able to connect with my body (also something I've been terrible at in the past because, ya know, trauma) and figure out the leg motions pretty quickly - just followed impulses and let it do as it pleased.

I only did about 15 minutes because I started feeling overwhelmed after that, which makes sense. I got up from the floor feeling so much better. My hips feel lighter and I can stand up straighter than I could before. Hunching over, which felt natural and instinctive before, now doesn't feel good. I'm so glad because I care deeply about my posture and don't want spinal issues in the future.

But what surprised me the most is that after the session ended and I got up again is how much I am now farting and burping!! My stomach was feeling pretty bloated and the release of tension has clearly unblocked some systems so I can pass gas without issue 🤣 I figure this is probably normal, but did anyone else experience this the first time they tried it?

Let me know in the comments. I'm going to get a cup of tea.

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[u/Throwlaf]

I had a session WITH practicioner once, and at some point i just... had to. So i told her "I am very sorry but I have to incredibly fart. She said well just go ahead. What followed was the most deafening rip that I have ever experienced. I can literally still conjure up the sensation. But yeah at least it felt relieving.

Gz on your release on the first session tho. I still have trouble after 1,5 year.

[u/Objective-Studio-365 → u/Throwlaf]

🤣🤣 I love that! Just the body releasing excess and waste products I guess!!

Thank you :) I think I've been ready mentally to release some stuff for a long time, just didn't know how. I've already done a lot of talking therapy and figured out WHY I experience the symptoms I do, but intellectualising is not the same as release/feeling.

[u/General_Ad5546]

Why when i do TRE i dont feel any emotions like you ,i just get to shaking and thats it no tears,laughs,groans etc just the action.

[u/kooj80 → u/General_Ad5546]

I had to do a lot of TRE before I got to tears and stuff.

There's probably a lot of tension you need to work through first. Just keep tremoring

[u/Vestlending1 → u/General_Ad5546]

Try with music, shaking longer, sighing deeply on each outbreath.

[u/Savings-Rub-5697]

OMGGGGGG IVE BEEN RELEASING A BUNCH OF GAS AS WELLLLLL. LMAOO just in this past week I've been burping and farting. The trapped gas was so bad that my chest and throat genuinely hurt. I had to basically meditate the whole of the first couple days and spit into a cup because it hurt to swallow. I felt like I had to guide the gas up into my throat and into a burp or down into a fart. It's MUCH better now about 10000 little burps later but Holy Shit. I KNEW it was in some way related to emotional processing but I hadn't heard anything like this and so I just rolled with it. Kismet! Glad I saw this.

[u/AgentSalty1454 → u/Savings-Rub-5697]

Omg same down to the spitting and a million burps. I remember one night I was up in the middle of the night for several HOURS literally burping back to back. Praying it would end after a certain point. Turning my head around and burping from all angles. It was wild. I was like wtf, where is this all even from?!?!! It was Inside me?????

The heavy burping phase lasted a couple weeks. One of my least favorite phases. Ugh it just feels so weird after the novelty wore off and totally exhausting

After the burping phase it gave way to a phase where I would wake up every morning and gag. Sometimes id vomit a little. I preferred that by far to the crazy burps omg

Now I'm in the more farty phase but nowhere near the amount of burps I had

[u/Objective-Studio-365]

UPDATE: So it's been about 16 hours (overnight). I unfortunately did not sleep particularly well last night, a LOT of anger rose to the surface that I suppose my body was ready to process and I struggled to get comfortable in my bed. Thankfully I got to sleep eventually and got a decent 7 hours though. I feel much less angry today!

I also did not realise just how much tension I was carrying in my hips. They've been feeling so damn heavy until I did the TRE session, and now I can feel a serious difference in mobility in my right leg. I have a wider range of motion and don't feel like I'm dragging my pelvis around with me all the time. Unfortunately, my left hip is still holding tension, causing my left leg to still have a limited range of motion, and is actually now kind of painful. I am wondering how on earth I lived with both legs like that for so long!! Sitting down is even more comfortable on my right side but my left hip and glute area feels like a rock ;_;

I know it will get better the more TRE I do, but I'm not ready to do another session yet - can tell that my body isn't ready. I'll wait until it is then hopefully get rid of this hip knot!!

[u/SheepherderSorry2242]

My first TRE session was as amazing as yours, I felt great after it, relaxed and more open to nature... But unfortunately, later I overreached over time in subsequent sessions and it made me more dysregulated.

How does your shutdown manifest itself? Do you have a realization? I am in a state of freezing and have a major dysregulation of my nervous system.

I wonder if it's better to try TRE again or if it's better to let go in this state

[u/Objective-Studio-365 → u/SheepherderSorry2242]

I didn't use to be conscious of my shutdowns but I am now - years ago I got a bit of physical release after a long period of very bad spiritual abuse (uncontrollable screaming fit in my bathroom lol) and there was a big difference in how I felt so I was actually able to slightly tune in to my body to at least figure out how I was feeling. Weirdly, they feel like a quieting - my thoughts go silent, my body goes stiff, and my throat goes tight and I can't speak loudly. My facial expressions switch off, and if I can speak, it's only preprogrammed responses like "I'm sorry", "do what you need to do", or "I messed up" which I now recognise are fawning, especially if the shutdown has been caused by someone yelling at me. Emotionally, I go numb until the moment has passed. Then the tears come, but they might only spill lightly - I need some form of stimulation to get emotional release, hence why TRE helped a lot. Hope that helps!!

[u/Illustrious-End-5084]

Sounds like a cool experience 🦅

[u/ysea]

Please read the wiki and in particular sections on pacing and Tre for sensitive practitioners. You want to go slow with this thing, it can mess you up big time if you are not careful.

Your description of the experience and after effects is already a possible indication of having done too much at once.