![]() Several are mere humans trying something that works for them, and, as they say, if it feels good, do it. True, many of the so-called experts on TikTok are not licensed mental health professionals. As always, the internet is torn on whether or not this viral hack is a “pro tip” or simply, well, hacky. I began asking therapists their thoughts, researching the vagus nerve, and icing my boobs as necessary. Surely this is just the placebo effect at work, right? I had to find out. Is it the placebo effect, or the real deal? My son said, “You’re acting weird.” He was not wrong. So I filled a mason jar with ice, wrapped it in a baby washcloth, and stuck it in my bra. ![]() Thoughts - the way I make my living - stop. To disassociate, I went on TikTok and saw this video of a lady sticking frozen beef down her shirt, followed by other videos of people sticking cups of ice in their sports bras, people saying “vagus nerve,” and “polyvagal theory,” and “panic attack,” and “trauma” over and over. Soon I was walking around my house buzzing and crying and not eating and not sleeping. Then my anxiety attacks, previously well managed, snuck up on me again. Then something happened and it reactivated a little bit of my trauma response. I thought it sounded cool and I was for sure going to look into it, as soon as I got back from vacation. My therapist sent me this podcast about it and I listened to it twice, trying to absorb as much as I could. ![]() Dealing with these adrenaline rushes of panic, then, requires rewiring of your nervous system’s automatic responses. What are we hacking now?īasically, the theory goes that you can talk to yourself all you want about how you’re not actually being chased by monsters, but your body - or rather, your brain - does not care, and is going to send you into flight, fight, freeze, or fawn mode whether you’ve taken a deep breath or not. My phone and/or TikTok account may or may not have been listening in on a recent therapy session wherein my therapist and I were talking about my pandemic panic disorder and the hot new coping strategy on the street these days: polyvagal theory, also known as nervous system hacking. It’s also a wonderful place to explore the more…unconventional side of wellness and mental health trends. I’m all about “it’s not TMI, it’s transparency,” which is why TikTok is the best social network - a place where people have no problem getting nakedly confessional in 15 seconds or less.
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