NYE coming; need support

[Mani]

New years eve is coming. We have a big fireworks tradition in the Netherlands. Someone just lit some fireworks in front of my house and i was suddenly reminded of how it is to be somewhere uncomfortable without being able to leave. Obviously NYE will be 100x worse. I'll be in the cellar but i wont be able to completely cut it out and im incredibly stressed

This is all a problem because of my hyperacusis, a manifestation of tms.

I was kind of gaslighting myself into believing itll be alright but after this im noticing the fight or flight is acting up and the fireworks havent even really started yet. I just want to get through this the best I can. Any suggestions?

 

[HealingNow]

New years eve is coming. We have a big fireworks tradition in the Netherlands. Someone just lit some fireworks in front of my house and i was suddenly reminded of how it is to be somewhere uncomfortable without being able to leave. Obviously NYE will be 100x worse. I'll be in the cellar but i wont be able to completely cut it out and im incredibly stressed

This is all a problem because of my hyperacusis, a manifestation of tms.

I was kind of gaslighting myself into believing itll be alright but after this im noticing the fight or flight is acting up and the fireworks havent even really started yet. I just want to get through this the best I can. Any suggestions?

Can you do any sort of graded exposure with YouTube videos on quiet of fireworks? Or would that still be too loud for now?

 

[Mani]

Can you do any sort of graded exposure with YouTube videos on quiet of fireworks? Or would that still be too loud for now?

It doesnt respond that quickly sadly... I would only be making things worse. I just need a way to not get a panic attack.

 

[Cactusflower]

You use the TMS skills you are learning and refer to the books suggested.
Asking us to basically prevent your panic attack is putting the responsibility on us, and that is not something I will personally accept.
Most of us here have been through the fear and panic of triggers and we are still here and recovering.
You will too.

 

[BloodMoon]

I agree with @Cactusflower, @Mani...

A TMS skill that you will already have learned about is deep therapeutic breathing to engage the vagus nerve. My suggestion is that throughout the day today - leading up to and during the pyrotechnics tonight - regularly place your attention on your breath and slow down your breathing by focusing on lengthening your out breaths, and/or do 'sponge breathing' as I described before in my posting here https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/how-to-switch-brain-off.33168/#post-168703. I think it would be really good for you generally to make this a practice that you do regularly anyway to calm yourself, and not just when you know fireworks are going to be set off.

 

[Mani]

I agree with @Cactusflower, @Mani...

A TMS skill that you will already have learned about is deep therapeutic breathing to engage the vagus nerve. My suggestion is that throughout the day today - leading up to and during the pyrotechnics tonight - regularly place your attention on your breath and slow down your breathing by focusing on lengthening your out breaths, and/or do 'sponge breathing' as I described before in my posting here https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/how-to-switch-brain-off.33168/#post-168703. I think it would be really good for you generally to make this a practice that you do regularly anyway to calm yourself, and not just when you know fireworks are going to be set off.

Your sponge breathing really helped. You guys are right, cant hand away the responsibility. Really appreciated cactus reply. Ive been doing incredible so far. New year is about 20 min away so i really can not compain. I'm safe in my cellar and im excited about how im gonna kick TMS ass next year. I'll put up a post about it. Love you all

 

[BloodMoon]

Your sponge breathing really helped.

Glad to hear this! (I think because it includes visualization it makes it easier to do plus more profoundly powerful than just concentrating on lengthening the out breaths, but just doing the latter is really good too.)