TRIGGER WARNING: natural disasters (with a positive end)
*based on a true story*
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A very special person in my life told me that she was once driving and encountered a legitimate tornado. Her immediate reaction was full panic mode - heart jumping, throat in chest, sweating, thoughts racing. She began driving faster in hopes to escape.
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Very soon after her visceral response, something dawned on her. She had learned about tornadoes before. She remembered that the direction of the rain mattered. Once she saw the rain and wind interaction, she realized there was a good chance she would survive. It’s no coincidence that she noticed a bridge ahead that she could go under to seek shelter and safety. Just like she predicted, she survived.
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She applies this example to her interactions with anyone from strangers to loved ones. With her knowledge, she reminds herself that another person’s tornado does not necessarily have to hurt her. The person’s projections of hurt, agony, conflict, and the like are their “own storm.” With her boundaries, she reminds herself she does not have to inhabit their storm, absorb the impact of the storm, and get hurt, drained, or lost because of it. Instead, she can just observe it and mobilize her energy for protection...knowing that she can’t change a storm or how it escalates per se, but rather, she can only keep herself safe. And maybe, just maybe, the initial panic can end in flowers, sunlight, and relief on the other side of the bridge.
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(For more information about projections and ways to reconceptualize the experiences of others, read my last post @dr.kaxelsen.)
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@canva #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #therapist #psychology #insight #drkaxelsen #therapistsofinstagram #tbi #healing #holistichealing #journeytowellness #honoryourjourney #seekyourtruth #themoreyouknow #breathe #awaken #peace #survival #panic #relief #boundaries #protection #safety
#mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #therapist #psychology #insight #drkaxelsen #therapistsofinstagram #tbi #healing #holistichealing #journeytowellness #honoryourjourney #seekyourtruth #themoreyouknow #breathe #awaken #peace #survival #panic #relief #boundaries #protection #safety
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