Old Buddhist story--A group of monks approached a village and a vicious dog tore out barking at them. All but one monk ran away. The one left stood calmly, facing the dog. Inexplicably the dog stopped barking and sat down. It didn't know what to do with a person not afraid of him. I fear facing my fears, but reading what you said Meredith, it makes complete sense for me to sit for a while and tangle with them instead of popping chocolate in my mouth, trying to make the bad feelings go away. Also, the accu-pressure points work great. Thank you again for sharing your wisdom.
It's the suppressed anger part of it that makes it more difficult. Seems that we are all angry as we try to cope with this craziness.
I think that may be why the totalitarians and authoritarians always ultimately rely on their crushing power. Not so much to enforce compliance, but to keep our anger at bay as they abuse us, as we would naturally fight back.
Thanks for sharing that, Dana! This is another topic I’ve been reflecting on. I will eventually write about it but I’m still in the observation and research phase. I’m noticing that there isn’t a lot of anger being expressed, which probably means that it is numbed.
Trauma creates a toggle between numbness and hyper reactivity. The numbness is where the biggest pain is hiding and it’s also where most of the energy gets trapped.
The sense of powerlessness in the face of tyrannical power creates rage, which is often suppressed. The temporary periods of calm in between the chaos (the abuse cycle) create an effect like anesthesia that keeps the anger suppressed. Anger is usually the motivating emotion that gets people to take action and leave the abusive situation. Anger is also the protective emotion that covers the more vulnerable feelings like shame, sadness, despair.
When it’s said that first the truth will piss you off and then it will set you free, I think it’s because people have to get pissed off in order to have the drive to liberate themselves. Of course anger is also a dangerous emotion if not wielded responsibly.
Aug 5, 2022·edited Aug 5, 2022Liked by Meredith Miller
The anger is indeed suppressed. There's no outlet. Those of us that saw, and still see the bullshit around society- even before covid, were gaslit by the people who folded under abuse. Jimmy Dore said that we are the nation of the children of alcoholics. It reminds me of how many of those with ACOA symptoms, didn't even have alcoholism in the family, but a numb family lacking empathy. Society has become number and number. (Desmet makes his case---but he and Arendt seem to think it was an organic thing that made it into totalitarianism, without looking at the funding and support for these leaders coming from a highly centralized source of wealth and power).
Anger shifts, I now feel angry at the people who use human exploits to control us. The groups that Desmet and Arendt don't notice, thinking it's "human nature".
These days, my anger is different. I don't feel wrong for being angry that doctors are still killing people by following orders. I don't feel wrong for being angry that people are lying to make themselves feel better about playing "russian roulette" with the jabs.
I'm ok as long as I can feel ok to be angry and suspicious of these people who either cannot SEE nor HEAR evil because they are much like the abused, protecting the abuser.
Anger becomes a protector, to prevent you from falling for their excuses for their abusers. No, No, No.
This is why it's great that you help label and identify anxiety and fear.
The more people can get in touch with their feelings, the less hypnotizable people exist out there for these brain-trusts to control like "zombies".
Thank you Meredith for this very important article on anxiety and fear. I experienced chronic anxiety for years without understanding the underlying cause. Unbeknownst to me at the time I was in a relationship with an ill intended toxic person. Like Piscine Molitor Patel in the book Life of Pi, my life felt like I was living in a small boat with an hungry bengal tiger. It is your guidance that led me to this understanding. Once I got the tiger off my boat, the anxiety gradually dissipated and restful sleep returned.
Thanks Meredith. The problem I'm finding is that our entire sense of community has been shattered. I live in a small village and in the aftermath of the past two years, people I knew for 20 years will no longer talk to me. The social divide has been carefully engineered, on the old divide and conquer model. I suspect that it will take a long time, even years, for this sense of social cohesion to rebuild.
Bless you Meredith for offering some potentially healing solutions! Although I have no evidence for it, I believe I may have been the victim of a directed bioweapons attack when I was exposed to a very strange variant of Covid-19. This, coincidentally, while I was on a book tour to promote Words from the Dead: Relevant Readings in the Covid Age, my new book which challenges the mainstream narrative about Covid. This variant caused symptoms many had never heard of before: strange flashing lights in my eyes followed by "white blindness" persisting for 5 days, a blocked ear that persisted for 4-5 weeks, and yet none of the typical lung symptoms except an excess load of mucous. A couple of people who were exposed to me after I had been exposed also reported similar symptoms, though not as serious as mine, which developed into Long Covid, taking 6 weeks to (mostly) full recovery.
Here's the thing: I find myself dealing with a collapse of confidence and my sense of personal security in the aftermath of this event. How do people who are victims of vicious physical attacks respond and recover? (Not like in the movies where they just get up, brush themselves off and carry on.) This is another form of trauma that I have no doubt is intended. It crushes both your personal confidence and your confidence in the world.
There have been several groups who experienced the same kinds of things at events that appear to have been targeted. The other thing I’m noticing is the energy weapons being used. Both of these kinds of attacks are perfect gaslighting because it’s invisible but for the effects. Used together, they are a powerful combination.
The collapse in confidence you noticed is very common after abuse and trauma in general. That’s why the foundation of recovery is based on truth and safety.
It’s impossible for us to have total safety in this world but creating a new sense of safety is important. As mammals, our brain and nervous system seek safety through social connection. Particularly in person connection. Finding the right allies and community is really helpful though often not easy to find. This is also why the adversary is trying to isolate people and keep us “socially distanced”.
Thank you for addressing these issues and for your suggestions for coping. I appreciate you taking the time to write this and all the work you do. I look forward to watching the video you suggested.
You are a blessing in my life Mere! I've had COVID three times this year. My recovery hasn't been easy! I feel lonely and anxiety has paralyzed me! This is too hard...! Thank you and God bless you!
Edson, I’m sorry to hear you’ve been sick so much! There are some studies that suggest anxiety is the second highest risk factor for covid death and others that show anxiety as a possible sequela of covid. So I think it’s really important to reduce anxiety as much as possible. Of course, knowing this, it’s clear that these gov and private health agencies as well as the media are extremely irresponsible in the ways they purposely stoke anxiety and fear in people during this pandemic.
Old Buddhist story--A group of monks approached a village and a vicious dog tore out barking at them. All but one monk ran away. The one left stood calmly, facing the dog. Inexplicably the dog stopped barking and sat down. It didn't know what to do with a person not afraid of him. I fear facing my fears, but reading what you said Meredith, it makes complete sense for me to sit for a while and tangle with them instead of popping chocolate in my mouth, trying to make the bad feelings go away. Also, the accu-pressure points work great. Thank you again for sharing your wisdom.
It's the suppressed anger part of it that makes it more difficult. Seems that we are all angry as we try to cope with this craziness.
I think that may be why the totalitarians and authoritarians always ultimately rely on their crushing power. Not so much to enforce compliance, but to keep our anger at bay as they abuse us, as we would naturally fight back.
Thanks for sharing that, Dana! This is another topic I’ve been reflecting on. I will eventually write about it but I’m still in the observation and research phase. I’m noticing that there isn’t a lot of anger being expressed, which probably means that it is numbed.
Trauma creates a toggle between numbness and hyper reactivity. The numbness is where the biggest pain is hiding and it’s also where most of the energy gets trapped.
The sense of powerlessness in the face of tyrannical power creates rage, which is often suppressed. The temporary periods of calm in between the chaos (the abuse cycle) create an effect like anesthesia that keeps the anger suppressed. Anger is usually the motivating emotion that gets people to take action and leave the abusive situation. Anger is also the protective emotion that covers the more vulnerable feelings like shame, sadness, despair.
When it’s said that first the truth will piss you off and then it will set you free, I think it’s because people have to get pissed off in order to have the drive to liberate themselves. Of course anger is also a dangerous emotion if not wielded responsibly.
The anger is indeed suppressed. There's no outlet. Those of us that saw, and still see the bullshit around society- even before covid, were gaslit by the people who folded under abuse. Jimmy Dore said that we are the nation of the children of alcoholics. It reminds me of how many of those with ACOA symptoms, didn't even have alcoholism in the family, but a numb family lacking empathy. Society has become number and number. (Desmet makes his case---but he and Arendt seem to think it was an organic thing that made it into totalitarianism, without looking at the funding and support for these leaders coming from a highly centralized source of wealth and power).
Anger shifts, I now feel angry at the people who use human exploits to control us. The groups that Desmet and Arendt don't notice, thinking it's "human nature".
These days, my anger is different. I don't feel wrong for being angry that doctors are still killing people by following orders. I don't feel wrong for being angry that people are lying to make themselves feel better about playing "russian roulette" with the jabs.
I'm ok as long as I can feel ok to be angry and suspicious of these people who either cannot SEE nor HEAR evil because they are much like the abused, protecting the abuser.
Anger becomes a protector, to prevent you from falling for their excuses for their abusers. No, No, No.
This is why it's great that you help label and identify anxiety and fear.
The more people can get in touch with their feelings, the less hypnotizable people exist out there for these brain-trusts to control like "zombies".
Thank you Meredith for this very important article on anxiety and fear. I experienced chronic anxiety for years without understanding the underlying cause. Unbeknownst to me at the time I was in a relationship with an ill intended toxic person. Like Piscine Molitor Patel in the book Life of Pi, my life felt like I was living in a small boat with an hungry bengal tiger. It is your guidance that led me to this understanding. Once I got the tiger off my boat, the anxiety gradually dissipated and restful sleep returned.
Thanks Meredith. The problem I'm finding is that our entire sense of community has been shattered. I live in a small village and in the aftermath of the past two years, people I knew for 20 years will no longer talk to me. The social divide has been carefully engineered, on the old divide and conquer model. I suspect that it will take a long time, even years, for this sense of social cohesion to rebuild.
Bless you Meredith for offering some potentially healing solutions! Although I have no evidence for it, I believe I may have been the victim of a directed bioweapons attack when I was exposed to a very strange variant of Covid-19. This, coincidentally, while I was on a book tour to promote Words from the Dead: Relevant Readings in the Covid Age, my new book which challenges the mainstream narrative about Covid. This variant caused symptoms many had never heard of before: strange flashing lights in my eyes followed by "white blindness" persisting for 5 days, a blocked ear that persisted for 4-5 weeks, and yet none of the typical lung symptoms except an excess load of mucous. A couple of people who were exposed to me after I had been exposed also reported similar symptoms, though not as serious as mine, which developed into Long Covid, taking 6 weeks to (mostly) full recovery.
Here's the thing: I find myself dealing with a collapse of confidence and my sense of personal security in the aftermath of this event. How do people who are victims of vicious physical attacks respond and recover? (Not like in the movies where they just get up, brush themselves off and carry on.) This is another form of trauma that I have no doubt is intended. It crushes both your personal confidence and your confidence in the world.
There have been several groups who experienced the same kinds of things at events that appear to have been targeted. The other thing I’m noticing is the energy weapons being used. Both of these kinds of attacks are perfect gaslighting because it’s invisible but for the effects. Used together, they are a powerful combination.
The collapse in confidence you noticed is very common after abuse and trauma in general. That’s why the foundation of recovery is based on truth and safety.
It’s impossible for us to have total safety in this world but creating a new sense of safety is important. As mammals, our brain and nervous system seek safety through social connection. Particularly in person connection. Finding the right allies and community is really helpful though often not easy to find. This is also why the adversary is trying to isolate people and keep us “socially distanced”.
Thank you for addressing these issues and for your suggestions for coping. I appreciate you taking the time to write this and all the work you do. I look forward to watching the video you suggested.
You are a blessing in my life Mere! I've had COVID three times this year. My recovery hasn't been easy! I feel lonely and anxiety has paralyzed me! This is too hard...! Thank you and God bless you!
Edson, I’m sorry to hear you’ve been sick so much! There are some studies that suggest anxiety is the second highest risk factor for covid death and others that show anxiety as a possible sequela of covid. So I think it’s really important to reduce anxiety as much as possible. Of course, knowing this, it’s clear that these gov and private health agencies as well as the media are extremely irresponsible in the ways they purposely stoke anxiety and fear in people during this pandemic.
https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2021/21_0123.htm#discussion
https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/92/12/1254