Caitlin Lyon, MSW, LICSW

08/07/2024

05/28/2020

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Hypervigilance is a hallmark feature of trauma.⁣
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It means: hyper = excessive; vigilance = alert, awake, watchful.⁣
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This heightened state of awareness is part of our fight, flight or freeze response, resulting in a state of excess awareness.⁣
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If you've experienced trauma, then you're likely aware that you're always unconsciously on guard, scanning the environment for cues, signs, or situations, that signify a threat or potential danger. It's very hard to turn to off. This is your brain and your nervous system's best attempt to prevent future traumas.⁣
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The chronic hypervigilance is from an overactive amygdala (the emotional brain) and an underactive prefrontal cortex (the rational brain). The prefrontal cortex is the part of our brain that is responsible for regulating our emotions and reactions. It does offline when we are triggered, and without it, we get hijacked by our emotions.⁣
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What's happening is that our amygdala acts like the fire alarm in our brain. After a traumatic experience, it is swift to sound off the alarm at anything remotely reminiscent of the past (this is the smoke).⁣
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For example, say you were bullied a child. Now, as an adult, you're walking by a park, and you see a group of teens sitting around and laughing. Your mind may go into a hypervigilant mode, thinking they are laughing at you. Your brain and body are trying to protect you from more abuse.⁣
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Your heart rate increases. You might start to sweat and feel an overwhelming emotional response like sadness, insecurity or even anger. Your body is reminded of the trauma and goes into overdrive. The brain is always prepared for a fight, flight or freeze response. It is well-intentioned, but your survival mechanism might not be needed in this situation.⁣
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There are many ways to calm your amygdala. One way is to try yesterday's exercise on my feed.⁣
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Can you relate to an overactive amygdala?

05/19/2020

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Delayed onset of PTSD is only starting to be more readily acknowledged in the medical community.
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We might wonder, why did I feel fine and now I am suddenly anxious, having nightmares or feeling depressed. Often these symptoms can arrive at times when we least expect them. It might be when you finally feel like you have some sense of safety in your life. Perhaps it’s once you’ve left a bad relationship, stopping using drugs or alcohol, or you have started therapy. Your body has decided that some of its defenses can be let down and this can result in a flood of sensations and increased remembering (this can be somatic and doesn’t always necessarily involve flashbacks in the ways we traditionally think of them).
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Alternately, symptoms of PTSD can arise when we are triggered in the context of a relationship, any life change or transition (such as parenthood), or a sensory cue that reminds us of a traumatic experience that has remained buried in our body.
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Sometimes people can go many months or years, suffering from the after effects of trauma, but are instead diagnosed with other ailments (both by doctors and therapists).
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Post traumatic stress and relational trauma (C-PTSD) can cause a host of symptoms that don’t fit the profile that appears in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, which offers the language and standardization of classifying mental disorders in psychiatric and medical settings). Only recently have researchers begun to fully understand the complexity of trauma and its far reaching effects.
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If you have experienced a delayed onset of traumatic symptoms, you are not alone.

05/16/2020

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It’s common for a trauma survivor to feel apologetic to the world for the chaos that lives inside them. We feel we should be able to present a life that was more pleasing to others, regardless of why We feel the way we do inside.⁣
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Through affirming our experiences we learn to live life unapologetically.⁣
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So, if you’ve experienced trauma, it is completely normal to:⁣
▪️Wrestle with addiction.⁣
▪️Have low self-worth.⁣
▪️Have a difficult time taking care of your body.⁣
▪️Assume you should feel differently.⁣
▪️Be sad, angry, mad and not quite be able to pinpoint why.⁣
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Do not think those things are a result of you. They are a result of what was done to you.⁣
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All of those things need to be addressed and at the core of them is a wounded part of you, doing the best they can. Please be kind to that part. Stop telling yourself you “should” look, or feel a certain way. It is what it is and the process will require a lot of patience and kindness on your part to deeply love yourself where you are. That will be the next step to exploring why you are there. No matter what, being kind to yourself will never cause harm.⁣
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What’s the ONE part of you that couldn’t possibly deserve kindness (yes, it’s a trick question)?⁣
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***We have two openings on Tuesday afternoons (CST) for one one one coaching. Inquire through coaching website in bio. 👍🏻⁣
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05/08/2020

Most of us know we say sorry when we’ve done nothing wrong, but we don’t know what to say instead...here are some great ideas!

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Saying “sorry” has become almost like an automatic part of the culture of politeness. It’s interesting to see the power dynamics and the gendered lens with which “sorry” is so often used. Personally, it took me time to understand when to use this word. To me, sorry has always been a way to express remorse for a mistake or some hurt I may have caused another. But somewhere along the line, sorry also came to mean
“Sorry I exist”
“Sorry I take up space”
“Sorry I have a voice”
“Sorry I am so curious”
“Sorry I need help”
“Sorry I am human”
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What really changed things for me was to start replacing sorry. My favourite way to replace sorry is by saying thank you- it helps me feel like I am able to hold on to being polite but not apologetic for who I am. I’ve included some examples that might also be helpful when we are considering when to use sorry and what alternatives we may find appropriate to use in different situations.
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What are some of the things you have stopped apologising for? How do you address a situation instead? Tag a friend who apologises all the time!
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05/02/2020

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We can’t choose our thoughts but we can choose how we engage with them.
Mindfulness is a powerful tool that helps us to learn how to observe our thoughts without being so fused to them.
What if you viewed your unhelpful thoughts as an annoying Instagram ad that you choose not to engage with? Rather than seeing them as facts or ‘the truth.’
We can’t keep the waves from coming but we can choose which ones to surf.🏄‍♀️
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Want more?
🌟 Therapy: Schedule a free 15 minute consult for therapy or coaching-worldwide via video. (Link in my bio).
👩🏼‍💻 Courses: treating clients with: bulimia and BED, body image issues, compulsive exercise. Recovery from anorexia, recovery from binge eating, and body image course (Link is my bio).
❤️ My Instagram is for educational purposes and is not therapy or medical care.

04/26/2020

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therapy must always be consensual.⁣⁣
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however, it isn't enough for attending therapy to be consensual - all of therapy must be consensual from the beginning to the end.⁣⁣
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from pursuing a therapeutic relationship and how that relationship is defined to discussing certain topics to deciding on a diagnosis together.⁣⁣
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everything must be consensual.⁣⁣
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I've included a few things in a non-exhaustive list that happen when therapy is consensual:⁣⁣
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• you're asked for permission before the therapist goes ahead with a specific intervention/treatment/approach⁣⁣
• you're asked for permission before the therapist pursues or discusses a diagnosis⁣⁣
• the therapist asks what a diagnosis means for you⁣⁣
• finding a diagnosis is a collaborative process⁣⁣
• you have a say in the frequency of sessions including when⁣⁣
• you're in charge of the sessions include what you discuss and what goals you set⁣⁣
• you don't feel pressured or forced to tell your story⁣⁣
• you feel comfortable to set boundaries, say no and disagree with the therapist⁣⁣
• the therapist gives you space to disagree/say no/say your opinions⁣⁣
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Consensual and collaborative therapy is always the goal and is something everyone deserves.⁣⁣
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I'm sorry if you've never experienced consensual therapy - I hope you get the opportunity to do so where your lived experience and autonomy are respected and encouraged.⁣⁣
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What are your experiences? Bad or good.⁣⁣
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04/23/2020

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If we didn’t receive safety, security, and the message that our needs matter as a child, it would make sense that we will bump into challenges related to our childhood experiences throughout adulthood. We begin to heal and rescue the wounded child within us when we learn new patterns, step back into our power, trust ourselves and speak our truth. .
A lot of what we internalize, become, and learn to pick up is modeled throughout childhood (usually by our caregivers). As adults, we can lean toward safe and supportive people who can model healthier patterns to provide an emotionally corrective experience that we didn’t receive as a child. Whether it be an aunt/uncle, counselor, coach, teacher, etc. We heal relational trauma through safe relationships. .
This takes time and having self compassion is an important practice throughout each of our journey’s. Learning to become that loving parent for ourselves is an empowering transformation. Allow yourself to feel all emotions, validate your experiences, meet your needs and know you are worthy. Sending you big love xx

04/22/2020

Even for individuals who don’t struggle with eating disorders, it’s important to be mindful of the messages we receive from social media and advertising and how they impact our mental health. This coronavirus thing is hard! If you’re not feeling motivated, being productive, following an exercise routine, or eating a healthy diet right now, it’s okay! The best thing you can do right now is to be gentle with yourself. 💜

It’s not easy to manage anorexia or bulimia when resources are thin — and you spend all day watching Insta Stories about getting ‘quarantine fit’

04/22/2020

I 💜 this! Close your eyes and screenshot for your message. 🙂
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close your eyes and screenshot for your message 💚 comment what you got 🙂 ( 🎨 )