#hyperarousal

[fuckingwhateverdude]

@nosebleedclub / april #16

[mindinmultiples]

No technique replaces real safety. While coping strategies can help survive overwhelming moments the real solution to chronic hyperarousal is creating a life where your nervous system feels protected, free, and autonomous.

A Million techniques and hacks can’t substitute that. If you’re stuck in a living situation that makes you feel unsafe then your body is reacting to smth it would need to go into hyperarousal over.

What does work within that type of circumstance is finding a place outside of your current home to feel safe at, for atleast a few hours per day to get to relax atleast a little bit. This could be a library, a soothing cafe, a place in a forest that’s entirely yours because you’re the one who found it, a specific park, even a specific tree to sit under you can claim mentally. A Friends Place you can hang out at frequently.

[kujorking-it]

Now can someone tell me why the FUCK one of PTSD responses is known as HYPERAROUSAL.

With a name like that, you’d think it has something to do with hypersexuality, or is a synonym of that.

WELL IT ISN’T.

IT’S WHEN YOUR BODY IS IN A CONSTANT STATE OF FIGHT OR FLIGHT.

YOU GET ANGRY, PARANOID, SWEATY, EXCESSIVE STARTLE REFLEX, INSOMNIA, INABILITY TO CONCENTRATE AND PANIC ATTACKS.

HYPOAROUSAL IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE, INDUCING EMOTIONAL NUMBNESS, DISSOCIATION AND TIREDNESS

Source?

IF YOU BELIVE YOU HAVE THIS, GO GET CHECKED OUT BY A DOCTOR.

I’M STILL IN INDIGNATION ABOUT THE NAMING OF THIS SYMPTOM BY THE WAY WHAT THE FUCK

[helenwhiteart-blog]

Super syndrome: taking a unified approach to all the things

As anyone long reading my posts will know (you just have to read my About section to hear much more on this topic) I have long believed that there is a whole bundle of health symptoms and conditions that very commonly overlap and which I strongly feel are connected; that, in fact, they need to be regarded as parts of a constellation of related things to make any sense of them at all. Finding…

[broken--dreams]

Gets more complicated than that. Hyper fight or flight. Hypo, freeze, fawn,

But you can have cold anger in hypo

In hypo you can have limited flight -- mostly to hide.

Depending on the stress, you can switch pretty fast.

You can override to a certain extent with training.

e.g. Soldiers train over and over. And even in the life or death setting of war, and follow their training and not panic.

Police and firemen do this too. These are 'intellectual survival machines" as compared to the emotional survival machines that are hardwired.

[itshomobirb]

reading/working through a trauma workbook (transforming the living legacy of trauma by janina fisher) and did a worksheet on my window of tolerance. and. well. it explains some things. like oh ok i am only calm cool collected at 5pm for an hour on a tuesday in the second week of may, and every single other moment i am on the edge of losing it. this makes sense

[blue-banditt]

my partner said I can just ask them for attention if I want it and idk how to tell them that the kind of attention I want is not the kind of attention they can give me, bc I need anger & hatred in order to actually feel loved

[purplebass]

The owlcrate special adsom edition reminding me that I'm too poor to spend money on physical books nowadays lmao

[angelnumbers]

do u think doctors hate autistics with special interests in psychology and neurology.

[villainhypno]

random person at the bar: you seem really shy

me, covering my face with my hands or my hat every time someone looks at me: how did they know

[babyjakes]

help me hold onto you.

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event | kinkmas 2023

prompt | sex pollen

pairing | steve rogers x avenger!reader

warnings | sex pollen (reader was exposed to some sort of chemical agent that induced a persistent state of hyperarousal.) medical elements (reader is staying in the medbay.) crying (not related to the sexual interactions.) stevie is soooo soft :')). dialogue is soft and sweet, gentle praise and encouragement included. fingering. tummy rubs bc they make me soft. she comes quick! intense, prolonged orgasm. the beginnings of aftercare.

word count | 1,356

"Hey, hey- okay. I'm here, sweetheart. I'm here. Just tell me what you need."

Steve's brow was raised in gentle concern as he stood over your hospital bed. Dr. Banner had set you up in a secluded room at the end of the medbay, wanting to give you as much privacy as possible given the nature of your condition. It was still all a bit baffling to Steve; Bruce had shared any information he had available on the mysterious chemical you'd been exposed to out on your mission to a foreign bioweaponry facility, but most of it had gone in one of the supersoldier's ears and out the other. "Persistent heightened state of arousal" was the only phrase he was able to cling to, which still didn't feel like much to go off of.

As he stood there at your bedside, though, those words were all of a sudden making a lot more sense. You were a pitiful sight, really- curled up on your side with your knees hugged up to your chest. Your whole body was shaking, something that tore at your teammate's heart as he came to better terms with the severity of the state you were in. Overcome with obvious discomfort, all you could do was lie there and rub your sore knees together uselessly. Your hands reached out for him needily; in an instant, he was lowering himself down to sit beside you, leaning over you attentively as his face filled with concern.

"Oh doll," he hummed, reaching out to brush back your hair with a steady hand. Your forehead was drenched in sweat, your big eyes looking up at him pleadingly. As another wave of unbearable heat rolled over you, tears were building in your eyes. "How can I help, sweet girl?" Steve was pressing, "Is there anything I can do?"

In a moment of total weakness, you reached out for him again. This was completely abnormal behavior for you. Being the youngest and newest to the team, you were always intentional about maintaining an image of responsibility and restraint. But as Steve sat there at your side, his steel blue eyes looking over you so thoughtfully as he gently offered you his hands, your hijacked mind was fixating on him faster than you could realize what was happening.

"P-please," the weakness of your small voice broke Steve's heart. He nodded encouragingly, wanting to do anything he could to ease your suffering.

"What is it, honey? Hmm? What do you need?" he asked soothingly.

More tears built in your eyes as you failed to generate a verbal response. Instead, all you could do was continue to writhe pathetically. Steve's brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of your movements. "Does something hurt?" You whimpered feebly at his question, shaking your head. "No, then what is it, sweetheart? Can you tell me, or- or show me?"

Desperation drove your every move as you shifted slightly onto your back, your knees falling apart as you brought a shaking hand down to motion over your hospital gown toward where the sensations were accumulating. If Steve was surprised or offended by your admission, he didn't let it show. Instead, he simply nodded, speaking with an understanding tone, "It's bothering you there, darlin'? Do you want me to take a look?"

Your wide, pleading eyes were enough to answer his question. Pausing, he took a moment to consider the best way to proceed. After a quick glance back at the door to the hallway, seeing that the coast was seemingly clear, he gently brought his hands over to lift up the thin fabric of the gown, pulling it back to expose the area you had pointed to. Steve couldn't help but gasp softly as he saw the ramifications for the first time; any doubts he could've had about the compound's strength or effects were immediately shot down as he faced the living, breathing evidence.

"Oh honey," he crooned worriedly, leaning his head down a bit to get a better look. Your pussy was so puffy it almost looked painful. Your clit was swollen to about three times its normal size, pulsating visibly in unison with your heavy heartbeat. Bruce had placed a wide gauze pad beneath you, and it wasn't hard to see why; with the constant state of arousal your body was trapped in, you were amassing an impressive amount of self-lubricant. Face drawn in disbelief and honest fascination, Steve struggled to find words to console you. "Sweetie, what can I do? Let me help you," his voice was swelling with concern. Swallowing hard, his gaze returned up to your face. "Can I-... would it help if I-... you know...?" The sweetest hint of pink rose up in his cheeks.

You were unsure of what would happen if he tried, but with the way your stomach was lurching and spasming in excitement at the mere thought, both you and Steve knew it would be senseless to not at least give it a try. Sensing your mild confliction, the supersoldier took a moment to brush back your hair again as his soothing voice filled the air, "It's alright, doll. Let me take care of you. S'just me, just Stevie. I'll be gentle, I promise."

As he spoke, he gently drew his hand down to begin rubbing at your inner thigh. Letting out a squeak of surprise, your heart jumped at the way his touch immediately sent sparks shooting up through your tangled nerves. "Easy," he hummed lowly, pushing on you carefully to encourage you to open up your legs a little further. Once you were nice and spread out for him, he took another deep breath. "Okay darlin'. Just keep breathing for me," he seemed to be trying to calm his own nerves as much as he was yours.

With the lightest amount of pressure he could manage, Steve carefully brought his pointer and middle middle fingers to sink slightly into your pool of arousal. They didn't linger long, as they then slowly dragged up your wetness to smear over your enlarged clit. The moment he came in contact with your poor button, your world was set ablaze. You had never felt such unbearable heat in your life; it was as if every atom within your core was being blasted into smithereens, an incredible amount of energy and pressure building up inside of you as a result.

"Easy, easy- shhhh," Steve was doing his best to talk you through it, watching as your hands scrambled to grip the sheets below you, your hips rocking in shameless desperation.

"Mm.... mmhh... hhh..." you struggled through incoherent whines. The man brought his free hand over to rub your tummy gently, trying to give you any sense of comfort and safety he could as he continued working the pads of his fingers in careful, steady circles.

It only took a few more moments of the simple stimulation to send an orgasm ripping through you with unimaginable force; as Steve saw your climax hit, his eyes widened, but he was intent on carrying you through it. Needy cunt spasming around nothing, your clit jerked and jolted beneath his tender traces. Your eyes were rolling back in your head, your whole body at the mercy of the waves of pleasure crashing over you.

And you kept coming, and coming, and coming- trapped in the grips of your orgasm for what must have been minutes compared to the fleeting moments you were usually granted. "Good, let it out," Steve was murmuring softly, watching as all your pent-up frustration was slowly pulled from your seizing body.

When you were finally winding down, breathless and slumped against the flimsy mattress beneath you, he was careful to pull his hands away with the utmost care to avoid causing you any further discomfort or unwanted stimulation. As he stood momentarily to find something to wipe his hands with, you let out a shaky whimper. "No, no, I'm here," he quickly returned to your side, retaking his place next to you on the cot. "I'm right here, doll. You're okay. Here, let me clean you up a bit, honey."

[foone]

"hyperarousal" is the second funniest medical condition name. It's just a type of anxiety where your body and mind is trying to run at 100% to defeat the danger, but the danger is cPTSD so it doesn't help much.

It sounds instead like a medical description of those Doug Winger (rest in peace) furry ladies with cocks the size of their entire bodies.

[skeletonenthusiasts]

TRAUMA RESPONSE FLAGS ☆

☆　acute stress responses (also called trauma responses, fear response, or hyperarousal), most commonly known as "fight-or-flight", are instinctual reactions to percieved stress/danger.

---☆　FULL FLAGS/DEFINITIONS UNDER CUT!

FIGHT RESPONSE ☆

---☆　aggression towards the source of acute stress; this may include physical and verbal aggression or any type of confrontation.

FLIGHT RESPONSE ☆

---☆　putting distance between you and danger or avoiding it. this may include physical evasion, (including running, hiding or backing away) as well as distraction and denial.

FREEZE RESPONSE ☆

---☆　going tense, still and silent; this may include physical stillness as well as emotional numbness.

FAWN RESPONSE ☆

---☆　appeasing or praising of the source of acute stress in an attempt to lessen the pain or punishment.

FLOP RESPONSE ☆

---☆　similar to freezing, except becoming unresponisive and "floppy", rather then the tenseness of freezing. this may include going physically limp and fainting in extreme cases.

FIB RESPONSE ☆

---☆　evasion or dispute over the source of acute stress; this may include spontaneous lying about own or others' actions, thoughts, or feelings, or facts about a situation. this may in order to avoid questioning or judgement, or to buy more time for a better answer.

FRIEND RESPONSE ☆

---☆　calling for a 'friend' or bystander for help, and relying on others to solve problems for you rather than yourself.

☆　TAGGING : @radiomogai (?)　who am i supposed to tag for this 😭

[purplebass]

Emotional hyperarousal?

I thought I was too sensitive when I got intense (read: mostly angry and sad) reactions to people criticizing things I like or rejecting them as if they didn't exist. And when I say intense, I mean thinking about that for hours on end, thinking about a way to confront others. Ending up not doing it because eventually, no one cares. I am an adult, I should be able to manage my emotions! Then I found out it might be emotional hyperarousal?

I've never been able to control my emotions. I think, get very intense about it, and I try to keep it inside myself because "dude, you can't get an opinion influence you that much!" I'm a little ashamed of this, of being intense to the point of looking immature.

I remember when I was younger (as in mandatory school). I used to get angry at everyone who pissed me off because I couldn't keep my mouth shut. This resulted in being rejected a lot by people (and hated), and this is also something sensitive to me. Why couldn't I manage these emotions better? Why no one noticed and helped me? And this is also connected to emotional sensitivity and rejection sensitivity.

I am glad that I'm able to interpret these things now, but I wish I knew it sooner. I've lived most of my life being called "too much" or "exaggerated" or being belittled for my emotional reactions to how other people treated me like shit or how I reacted to a lot of these things. I wish I knew how to emotionally regulate better now, because that's one of the reasons I feel so burned out lately. I can't manage my emotions properly and I wish I did.

[crustyfloor]

The instrumentation of R7 is so cleverly immersive in the way it portrays Till's unstable emotions because by the end, Blink Gone is supposed to be petrifying and traumatic for Till. The repetitiveness of the lyrics and the many variations of "Blink gone" are like a mantra meant to drive you mad. The music is quite different from the genres we've heard before because it sets the emotional tone. Blink Gone sounds like mainstream party music (that much gives off a different tone that puts an invisible wall between audience and performer, though we have more of the advantage of seeing their emotions in more focus). That being said, Blink Gone's pacing is fast. It naturally allows this round to sound more like an actual competition. The concept and overall feel of Blink Gone is exhausting and quick (blink and you miss it kind of thing)

And I think that is meant to be portrayed in Till's gradual loss of will throughout the whole round, it looks very clear that he's running on adrenaline and ambition as he faces off against Luka, as opposed to R6, he's dropped the resignation and passivity, and is now probably fluctuating between fight or flight the whole time (Or in other words, Hyperarousal. Which you can identify a lot in his skittishness and his sporatic energy and his hyper vigilance and his eventual lack of response). I think it transitions that way because of Till's protective instinct after such a traumatic situation just hours ago, he doesn't do anything else than what comes naturally, and that is to fight (I think maybe there is a clearer notion behind that that we'll see in his introspection one day). Within his performance, he's actively assertive and firing back, that's what makes the coming scene with Till and Luka and their signature instruments so impactful because Till's skills have always been his advantage, but there is definitely something in the way Luka can do it all and interjects Till's performance with his violin, more smoothly and beautifully as opposed to Till's frantic playing, he makes his presence known and fights with Till for the spotlight, after this point you can see Till losing his wind and his energy comes back in brief strokes, his abrupt outburst of energy is impractical (entertaining most likely yes, but it gives a lot of insight into how he's handling the increasing pressure right now)

His stamina could be better because it can be, but Till didn't come into this round in the best state of mind anyway, it is why it's so easy for Luka to break him down

Ruler of my heart and BL gone have many similarities in this sense, in terms of immersion and showing the emotional volatility of Mizi, because this is Luka's technique, he intimidates his opponents, essentially exploiting their fearful adrenaline and whatever else he can bank on that he's observed from them in previous rounds perhaps, his displays easily steal the audience's attention and leaves his opponent fighting a losing game, essentially exploiting their emotional turmoil

The instrumental takes a low and slow turn in the scene where Luka gets close to Till and touches him so that we only know to focus on him while he sings and intentionally triggers Till, causing Till's shock to leave him momentarily shaken, what I really adore about that scene other than the lengths Vivinos went to to show his emotions-

(Like right here, color theory seems to be implemented to show you just how he feels in that moment, cold > warm > hot / freeze > shaken > assertion from the moment he's frozen in fear and right when he jumps back into action)

Alongside that, the way he sounds shaken as much as he is visibly afraid is so good, especially considering what we know he sees when he looks out into the crowd and realizes that everything is out of his control, and the threat of death is looming. That much is enough to prompt him to give himself the kick he needed to snap out of it and come back into action, though you can really see the way after this point, Till loses his energy, and his stage presence in quick succession, and again, (similar to Mizi in ROMH,) he is visibly panicking and desperately trying to get his wind back to no avail, Till's emotional fragility gives at the very moment he's so stressed his nose bleeds and he gives, the stage scene too circles back to what I said before about Blink gone having a suffocating and intimidating vibe, because hearing the crowd repeatedly sings different variations of " oh in a Blink gone forget everything and just enjoy" is like it's compelling Till to just give up at this point when faced with Luka who has the clear advantage, he'd be playing a losing game. (It's also so especially cruel that in this moment he's surrounded by trauma and he's facing it up-front, the fear in the moment froze him like the other instances, and the intensity of the moment is coupled by the way the crowd becomes more persuasive and has a pervasive influence on the way Till shuts down)

And the visual notes would've given the impression that this is where Till will inevitably lose, until instrumentally and visually the whole scene gives pause and redirects your attention and mood to a newfound energy, as soon as Mizi is introduced again, and the center of his vision focuses on her

In this way, you follow Till's train of thought as he sees Mizi and instantly snaps back into it, not the actual performance, but his state of mind is intensely focused on one singular thing, and that is getting to her. That is enough to get him back on his feet. It's also notable that this is one of those instances again where a character is singing to the listener, but they've actually stopped singing in real time on stage

The instrumentation captures the feeling of elation and hope in that moment in the drastic change of tone, (Save for Luka's utmost frustration/exasperations in his lines I love bl8m for showcasing that in his tone) it essentially sways you into thinking "oh, this is the part where he will be saved" because everything in that scene leads you to that perspective, even in the lyrics Till "sings" quite literally about him leaping for the moment, forgetting everything and not wanting to regret missing this chance to escape. Then he gets shot

If you think that sequence of events was rushed/fast-paced, I'd think that was the intention, given the repeated "blink, gone / the clock goes tik tok" because Till was racing against time, dragging himself to Mizi thinking she could save him was his leap of faith moment, and he went for it. And that's just so good to me, how it goes very literal beyond a listener's perspective, and the way the guitar sounds resoundingly low and ominous in the very end, giving off that sense of dread that Mizi feels, and the question of "what..."

[anna-scribbles]

hi I saw your response to the ask where you talked about driving. I hope this isn’t presumptuous, but have you got any advice for someone who has legally been able to drive for over 5 years now, but still really struggles with it and barely drives at all?

I just find it so stressful, and I’m scared things will go wrong or other drivers will be awful. How did you manage to become more confident with it?

(love your art style btw, the way you draw hair is just so pretty!)

hi!! I know this is a bit late, but I was going through my inbox and I was just talking with a friend about this earlier today so I'd love to talk about it.

looking back on it with the education I have now, I can see that my issue with driving was a few things, but the biggest problem was that my extreme anxiety about it sent my nervous system into a state of hyperarousal, which impaired my decision-making ability. which made me worse at driving. which worsened my anxiety about it.

so, your nervous system is your body's method of responding to danger. when there are no threats to your safety, you're body's chilling. this is when you're able to think most clearly, be curious and creative, engage in relationships, and feel grounded. we call this your "window of tolerance."

when your body detects a big threat, it either sends you into a hightened mobilized state called hyperarousal, or an overwhelmed immobilized state called hypoarousal. hyperarousal is more like "fight or flight," and hypoarousal is more like "freeze." these states come into play more often for people who have experienced trauma, but anyone's body can tap into them when their safety is threatened.

for me, driving was extremely scary--I was convinced that I was going to die or kill someone else, and that sent my body into fight-or-flight mode (hyperarousal). my heart started racing, my palms got sweaty, my thoughts were scattered. I became impulsive and terrified. bad combo for driving.

I didn't know any of this back then. but I remember distinctly, there was a day where I felt a shift. I became able to physically calm down my body and regulate. I was able to get into my window of tolerance while driving. that's what changed for me. If I'd known back then what I know now, then I would've tried much earlier to practice physically regulating exercises (like deep breaths, rocking, repetitive motions, humming, soothing fidgets, drinking water, etc) before getting behind the wheel.

all this to say, there are ways that you can help yourself get back into and stay in your window of tolerance. if you feel yourself going into hyperarousal, it helps to take a break and do something that physically calms you down. if you feel yourself going into hypoarousal, it helps to move around and do something that physically helps you feel present and grounded in your body, like engaging with your senses.

breaks are okay. be patient with yourself. driving is scary. but growth is possible--I used to break down crying every time I got behind the wheel, and today a friend remarked to me that I'm a really good driver. I told her I used to hate it so much, but I don't mind it now. things can change. you got this!