I don't hi k he understands people so have karma with execution repetitive karma like one work they go to so they r overly priced things or wrongly sold stuff or stuff not easily found hence the sim lighting etc ..there is always a lapse in every study i aee
Makes a lot of sense that when moving 'up' and out of the shutdown you come in the sympathic activity and a fight response. I actually was enranged often by something minor, then afterwards going back to feeling like an empty shell. I knew I had to channel this disproportionate energy somehow and found a good way to do that in pulling sprints on a bicycle and martial arts (kickboxing). Just to get the raw activation out. If you supress it, it just comes back at a different moment. After some time I was able to regulate my emotions again in a normal way and slowly recovered. For the people who are just 'in it': it may seem you are broken beyond repair and something fundamenrally changed inside of you, but you can definitly go back to normal (albeit wiser). Just listen to your true instincts and find something which is a release and let the way of releasing also change over time if necessary.
0:00 - Introduction 1:43 - What is a shutdown? 3:24 - How do I come out of shutdown? 8:00 - Step 1a: Validate 9:10 - Step 1b: Normalize 9:40 - Step 1c: Give Permission 10:48 - Step 2: Find safety while in shutdown 17:58 - Step 3: Work on vegal break strength (ongoing) 19:36 - Step 4: Prepare for sympathetic energy return
Sensory overlead and a tendency to oversleep in my case. I'm very introverted and I love the night, cozy things and nature photography, but I also love color therapy with LED lamps that can change color.
I literally just turned on a led light purple. Very soothing is night time my favorite time as well as before sunrise. I’m learning about shutdown now.
Thank you for this and don't listen to the haters about the ads. Obviously, you need to put food on the table, and people can get YT premium if they don't want to deal with ads. Personally, I get a lot more value from YT premium than Netflix, Hulu, etc.
Absolutely! I subscribe to YT premium instead of movie streaming channels. Ads and corporations who display them are meant to manipulate the viewer to buy their product, often using psychological principles to do so. 7:48 Those watching a video like this are vulnerable emotionally, and should not be shamed for being vulnerable. Congratulations to you that you are strong enough to not be impacted by ads….right?
I agree I have been a RU-vid premium member for about 3 years and it's definitely worth the price if you can afford it which $10 a month should be doable for most people who already own a phone.
@@AngieF8 Mine was $10 a month for the longest time but recently jumped to $15. I remember something about being grandfathered in with the $10 price, but I guess they recently changed that. :/
I feel like being overweight itself is a trauma I am surviving and is causing more triggers again and again. I have been imprisoned and unable to be free for 30 years. It has definitely traumatized me. Along with the childhood with emotionally immature parents and my son's suicide at age 11 has created a perfect storm of devastation. I wish there was somewhere to go to do extensive work to help me. Right now it seems like I am finding answers only online
I agree fully. I was happy ish and confident when I had control of my body and health. As a woman whose had kids and body has changed its traumatic. I is coupled w problems w family or relationships surrounding the mother during that change. One way or other you have a great point
This is helpful thank you! Going to look into the safety thing a bit more. I am now understanding that Ive (possibly background of perfectionism/criticism) taken a REALLY long time to validate, seek support in safe people or to stop hiding what I have been going through. Also alternating between sitting in shame/distraction or unhealthy coping mechanisms, and then when I have made any progress… tend to push it too quickly, reengage with super triggering things and/or shame myself for not being ‘better’ or being able to rebuild my entire life in a week. After 5 years of massive external trauma and life experiences that also brought up /re-visited for the first time as an adult… childhood trauma and abuse etc. What I finally noticed this year (and this resonates with some of this content) that the MOST healing thing was to finally accept what was happening. To tell other people about it and not sugar coat it. To ask for help, as in, I literally can’t function and I need help. Also to be vocal about my struggles. Even to the point of if a checkout person at target asks me something I will straight up be like, I am going through a depressive episode right now so I need some help with the self checkout. Which I know sounds ridiculous but the shocking amount of even strangers, my landlord, neighbors, people I meet on the street that have stepped in with small or larger gestures that remind me that I am worth being here. That there are others going through similar things.. to stop ‘masking’ or to even say I can’t talk right now because I am isolating (even if I have energy to do so). And to debunk this bullshit persona I have put on my entire life as someone who has eveything ‘together’ is what has helped me actually start to FEEL again. It is like the validation that I never had, and had never given myself. And I don’t care how extreme or how much of a weak person or ‘victim’ I sound like because I’m not- I’m someone who has been through a LOT. And I deserve support and love and help. That’s it. Through this process over the past year, I have started to feel more myself again. I am still up and down and needing to clean my environment and build more daily tasks and not just be at home not functioning then going out and being ‘normal’ .. I still have a road ahead of me. But it is amazing the level of internal shift that has occurred the more I stopped fighting and started embracing or even legit shamelessly ‘wearing’ this pain on the outside. I stopped trying. Ironically that has helped me believe again.
Excellent. With regulated vagal and boundaries...then power has compassion and empathy....this is really good stuff. These past few years the stress was/is unrelenting!!!
Your video popped up all of a sudden and I'm glad I watched your videos 😀 I cried the second you said there is a reason for being in a shutting down state 😳 It felt like I was validating the state I'm in ❤️
I just couldnt scroll further.....I really advice to find a flower essence therapist! Flower essences Will help you to find the strength and peace within . It really works .I have done it. And now I am Bach flower therapist and help others. There are so many flower therapists out there to help you. Just have an open mind. I have helped people being able to leave their comfort zone for what ever reason. And even people with HSP , autism.... Good luck . The only thing is to have an open mknd and let nature help. If someone is on medication ,NO problem....❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Super helpful. Makes so much sense to me. 5 weeks of intense outpatient therapy and nobody talked about these steps or feelings I felt I needed. Thank you soo much.
I have been literally feeling this from last 1 year. The time when I had to make my career decision I went through this phase due to overthinking. Since then my life has went upside down. Watching this now it makes a lot of sense why I've been feeling depressed for so long.
Im totally in either Shut down of freeze do to Multiple external traumas . This may be an introverts way of dealing with unmanageable circumstances , unfortunately social anxiety is increased so meaningful social connections are very difficult at this time ! Thanks for your logical understanding of this topic ! Most Docs just put people on pharmaceuticals to treat their symptoms , Lame ,western , profit based medicine . 😅
Agree Agree Agree! Everything u said is 100% me! I literally get sooo annoyed when my love ones(like almost all of them) continue to harass me with, "u NEED to go see and talk to a doctor!" "U need to get put on some type of medicine!" "There are sooo many to choose from and I'm sure there is a right 1 that can be prescribed to you!!" Ughhhh
Wow, wow, wow… The most exact way of explaining the state I have been in for the last three years, changing from shutdown to fight every days or weeks, not knowing what to make out of it, what it means, where it is coming from. I thought it as a coming and going of depression that only I am experiencing. It is so relieving to hear it’s a common experience after trauma and how creating safety may help. I will treasure this and work on it. Thank you🙏🏻
I've been figuring this out myself through chakra work, definitely focusing on safety of my body has made a huge difference, and also shedding away excess energy, feeling the feels, what made me think my unsafetyness was vagal related was my overactivity, which I read somewhere was a thing with a shutdown vagal nerve. Seems like connecting with emotions through old hobbies like videogames has allowed my belly area to feel more warm with emotion and perhaps that's reactivating the nerve. Now I think I need to be aware of my belly area more and listen to the feels there instead of panicking and going into overdo overthink mode. I've been belly breathing which seems to be working at keeping me feel safe. Little by little I'm gaining power but fight mode comes easily and I might get lost in it but I think I hadn't built adequate safety. This content speaks to me, Thank you very much. This process takes great patience but I encourage everyone it this, you can find yourself again!
Thank you for the breakdown and these steps you've mentioned. Ive been in major shutdown mode for the last 7 months. I cant leave the house, check my mail, and even take a shower. Its never been this bad before. It doesnt help living in an apartment where people are everywhere. No privacy! 😢
Thanks for sharing Justin! I've been on a long healing journey. It wasn't until 11 months at a Zen Monastery that I had one of my first experiences coming out of the shutdown state. My mindfulness practice mixed with somatic practices has really helped me. It's been intense bringing things up and my body is very tired. Thanks for sharing more tools with me.
I just had a private conversation on FB messenger where I said to my friend that I can barely lift my hand and it's almost like my body is shutting down. I swear they're spying on us...but I'm not a conspiracy theorist so I'll stop there. In reality I'm glad this showed on my feed. I have a doctor appt tomorrow and I couldn't figure out how to word this issue. Thank you.
I'm currently experiencing shut down, & rainy/ ovrrcast days are THE WORST!!! It's like herding cats to get myself out the house & to my in-patient program, then difficult to stay engaged. Doesn't help that it's been pretty un-spring-like here in the midwest... 🤯
wow! thank you so much for sharing your knowledge in a sense that seems like you've experienced it. I've read about polyvagal theory and tried some exercises. Your detailed, organized, experiential explanation is so helpful, as I navigate burnout. I really appreciate it!
Thank you so much for this. I can say that these these tactics truly work. I've came out of it before basically doing the same things. It truly works. Now navigating through it again.
This is awesome, I love the way you keep the explanations short but tell us about your more indepth videos for deeper exploration, & the way you explained it so people can easily understand it & themselves alot easier & better, you are one of the most genuine teachers/guides ive seen & heard, love how you dont continuously promote yourself during the teachings as many others do. BRAVO to you Sir 👏 🙌 ❤
Found your video tight now + i was listening to it totally focussed. Congratulations!! Very good explanations, i love it and i hope it can help me and my shutdown. Lovely greetings from switzerland 🤩
Amazing podcast. Thank you so much. There's a lot of information about understanding our states, but not so much about how to come out of it. Your video is extremely helpful. Thank you so much.
I just came across your page and i subscribed as soon as I finished this video. Such incredible information and I feel like I got so much out of this. Can’t wait to watch more ❤
For me it is because of lose, and the fact that being and experiencing life as a 'father' had come to the end of its journey. Everything else was always so easy to fight through. Not this tho Love u baby girl... I still look for u everywhere.
OMG... I have been suffering from this since 2017 and all doctors and professors and tests etc think it (extreme heavy apathy also known as abulia or loss of will, say it's trauma related). But it sometimes gets slightly better for maybe a week or two or untill a slight unexpected thing comes along and I get back into that state . But not because I choose to (I think anyway) like a subconscious thing. Could this be what I'm experiencing, I know my disability and symptoms but this description is so exact.i am taking stimulants for it, and they help a bit sometimes but I don't go outside, not even I'm my garden and I live near the ocean. Trauma was in 2013 heavy symptoms got worse since 2017 till now, and I'm trying or I have been. It sounds very familiar, this description.,
A great big thank you to you Justin and your channel! I appreciate the knowledge it will help me tremendously with having words to explain my thoughts when I meet with my new medical providers. I am now a new subscriber and I have many people that your information will be helpful. Thank you for being you! 🙏🙏💯
So many different stores!!! A good thing to do,that Will always help... Find a Bach flower essence therapist or some other flower therapist, there are so many clever ones in Canada and the rest of USA and other countries. You Will just do a test and you Will get the personal blen and can really start your healing Journey. I promise that it will make a difference for the person trying it. It works on cats,dogs,horses,humans,plants.... I have helped people with anxiety, depression,fear and suicidal thoughts and everyone are now over worst threshhold and can begin with other helpful holistic treatments. And flower essences can be taken even If someone is on medication..... My motto is: it does not matter what you do as long as it helps!! Bless you all, good luck!
Been going into shut down stages since middle school. Actively in shut down. I can’t stand human voices. Can’t stand being in my house. Can’t stand being touched by people. I feel their sympathy toward my situation and it amplifies my feelings.
I’m new to all this. But I believe Covid shut me down 2 years ago. I now have Gastoparisis because of it. Not just the stress of it but catching the virus itself. And now got Covid 3 weeks ago and have a rapid heartbeat. Doc says she sees that a lot. So for whatever reason, according to the cardiologist, my body’s autonomic or parasympathetic nervous is out of whack and things aren’t working correctly. Do these things u teach apply to helping my body heal from these issues?
I didn't create my system for medical issues. It's more for traumatic life contexts which affect the nervous system. I'm sure Polyvagal Theory may have something to say about medical issues, but I don't know enough about that at all to comment.
I love the fact that my symptoms only exist in the United States. In poor countries like Brazil, where I am, Im are not allowed to feel any of that. And I am talking about the relation of doctors about Dorsal Vagal Shutdown, this is something that doctors doesn't know it exists. I just have to get up and be productive. My two burnout crisis in 2022 and 23 were the start of all that, and... doctors and therapists also don't know what to do with burnout symptoms as well, now, imagine if they are capable understand Dorsal Vagal Shutdown. Just... don't be poor, guys. This makes Dorsal Vagal Shutdown even more harder to treat.
Were you deliberately facing a different camera? I would love to see this video with your face facing the audience! This information is invaluable and I will be watching this video more than once.
I was looking at my notes. I used to just record this podcast on video without taking it seriously. I've started being more deliberate about my camera facing in all newer videos. :)
Why would this bother you? Personally, I don't need a podcaster/therapist staring at me ... especially when they're dealing with people such as myself who's in shutdown.
I'm surprised too, but it's a question/comment that others have left too. I assume people feel more connection with me when I look at the camera. Makes sense.
This video was such a waste of time. Please don't sit through this. Lots of words and all that it really says is that you need to develop and find a safety state and safety anchor. But it doesn't say how, instead it gives you an I.O.U and tells you to watch more of his videos. On top of that the video where he explains the supposed useful stuff is not a public video but one on his site that you have to pay for.
I havent been able to take care of myself, work, clean, organize, or any other human things, for years. I dont generally accept that its ok. I generally feel that im lucky i have someone to take care of me or i wud be on the streets. Which makes me feel failure qnd shame, but to a much less degree than i was when i was fully shut down all the way when i didnt leave bed for the four years. If i had a lot of money i know i cud get the help i need to really deal with this. I feel like i need to be at the beach and alone and massage and somatic exercise and extensive therapy. But i guess i can tey to figure this out for ten years lol ugh
Please do practice meditation it helped me lot to come out of soo bad shutdown,your problem could be lack of mindfulness,sir please promote meditation . I saved myself from dying because of it. Please try it once try to meditate even if you cant
This is great info. Circumstances though can make these steps incredibly difficult, and the 'help' from *uk broken services etc, for me are making this worse.
I really don't find safety from observing my envrionment, guess this is also from having experiences with quite severe derealizatiopn episodes which frightened the sh*t out of me. But i'll try to safely reconnect with my surroundings as good as possible.
I had to strip myself down to my core and there I found that I had a skewed understanding of love and trust; trust being the big issue. So now I’m learning to trust, the right way, but I don’t feel safe in that trust yet. I guess it takes time.
I love this shirt! Black suit Spider-Man is my favorite design. I believe there's a way to download the transcript from the video. And it's also available in audio only podcast form. Just search "Stuck not Broken."
I found the video too long to take anything in,would love shorts steps on how to get myself out of the shutdown as my brain wont sit still long enough to listen to the whole video everytime without wandering off somewhere, already watched the video on what shutdown is so that could have been left out as i think everyone has come here from that,badly need to get myself back to life
how long do you call normal and shutdown because I’ve been in shutdown for 15 years now I have lost all my 50s and I am now 65. I couldn’t cope with what was happening to my children that were young adults and an ex that put me in hospital and damaged me my story is deep. My son went to prison for killing somebody. My two girls died 11 years apart. I lost my father. I’ve had it this time last year I lost my oldest daughter who I love dearly, and I am afraid of the outside world I don’t like people coming to the house, I don’t like leaving my bedroom I don’t like being downstairs. I’ve lost all interest in the house I’ve become ill I’ve lost 11th stone I don’t know how to change.
Shutdown can go on for years and years. It’s intended to be brief on a biological, evolutionary level. But humans potentially stay stuck in shutdown for long periods of time.
Umm nope. My knowledge is based on a ridiculous amount of studying, implementing, and teaching. And my efforts are built on top of the insane efforts of many others. I have a free resource here to get you going - www.justinlmft.com/polyvagalintro
This video has been eye-opening! I want to read more about this. I think I've been in this state since a family member was murdered. I came out, and felt aggressive, and didn't understand why. I recently started medications because it was that bad. Do you think starting medications in the fight or flight state can be helpful?
My therapist doesn't believe in meds except, and unless it's the only option, and then for a short time, just yo get over the hump. Personally, I'd be concerned about my body starting to need them, and getting off certain is not easy! I do take herbal remedies for anxiety This may, or may not, be helpful for you. I just thought I'd share personal experience, and things I've learned. Best wishes
Sadly, exiting shutdown is going to be much much more difficult. We need literal environmental and interpersonal safety. It’s not impossible, as people escape from horrible situations, requiring they exit shutdown. But it’s much more difficult.
So coming out of it we’re supposed to feel flight or fight? It feels intense but feels like I can handle it more. I thought it was energy or emotions now that I feel my body more…but makes sense. Do you have a video on that step?
Yeah, fight would be the next step, then flight. But stillness could be the first thing one experiences from shutdown (which is safety plus shutdown). Do I have a video on it? Ehhhh not sure. Try a search on my channel? I also have learning hubs in the free members center on my site - justinlmft.com.
So what kind of therapist would I look for that would work on SHUT DOWN because I'm looking and having a difficult time finding someone. Thank you so much if you get to my comment.
Does anxiety and major panic attacks cause this shutdown as well? That’s what I’m suffering from and I seen that shutdown causing dissociation/ Depersonalization/ Derealization.
Im at step 2 - how long will it take? I was in fivht or flight for years and one bad drug experience pushed me into dpdr depersonalizaton. Now im just numb and emotionally shallow
@@JustinLMFT I'm worried I'll never come back. And I don't have years and years to wait, this is completely debillitating. I just don't really know where to go from here
chronic dorsal vagal shutdown would be the underlying biology of what we call "depression." Depression is a label based on external factors and emotional experiences. Shutdown is the biology driving it.
Thank you for the video. Is this the process for past trauma only? Or can it be used if one is still in the traumatic situation and has shutdown as one cannot accept their reality as being real?
I’ve laid it out for someone who is in a safe environment and can practice self-regulation skills. If one is actually in a dangerous or life-threatening situation, biologically, the same autonomic shifts need to happen to get out of the situation. They need to go from shutdown to fight/flight to safety. Same basic idea, but it of course won’t look the same.
Thank you for your reply. I'm not in a dangerous situation but my current life circumstances created intense feelings of guilt and regret and I've dissociated as a way to cope - because I know that I can't go back in time or change reality. I'm struggling to accept my current reality. So I'm not in a life-threatening situation at all but I think my mind sees intense feelings and inability to escape/change as "dangerous'?
Yelling in your face "Snap out of it!" is not co-regulation, full stop. Co-regulation is by definition an action performed by one person that soothes another person.
It definitely could be co-regulation. Co-regulation is the expression of safety cues. One could totally say "Snap out of it" with love and compassion. (Is this something I said in the video?) Co-regulation isn't the words. It's the safety expressed by the person saying them. When I go to a gym and and get encouraged by another to do more, take on more, push myself harder... they do so with compassion and positive encouragement. Very co-regulative.
this video could do better for people who are actually in dorsal vagal shutdown. relying on jargon and academic-speak is a crutch. important to explain simply, with repetition. this video ultimately comes across as unempathetic towards the kind of person youre trying to help with this video.
I'd invite you to take a look at the comments on this video. You might find the exact opposite to what you're saying. I see many many people receiving validation and clarity. Not only that, but there's a lot of support for each other. It's really cool and touching. Thank you for the leaving the comment and the feedback though. :)
Hi, Sue! I'm new to the ads. Do you mean the ones that Google puts in or me advertising my Total Access Membership? I'm curious your experience; I'm still learning about the monetization options.
If you mean RU-vid's ad rolls, then Its not his fault. YT now take complete control over the number and length of ads, as well as when they appear. We recently lost the control to manage ads as creators. We can either switch them on or completely off, thats it.
