When Navy Seals live in your head
I recently started seeing a therapist to help me deal with some recurring issues. (BTW - I have long held the belief that EVERYONE can use a good therapist at some time in their life.) While I am a huge fan of life coaching, (I work with a coach regularly,) sometimes one needs the expertise and training of a licensed counselor. Actually, it was my coach who suggested working with a therapist for a few sessions. A good coach recognizes the scope of their practice and refers out when necessary.
In my case, sometimes my "git 'er done" drives crosses a line over into anxiety. I love how my therapist refers to anxiety: It's like having Navy Seals in your head. These bad boys are on heightened alert all.the.time.
Being a word picture sort of gal, I love this analogy. It gets even better. When I came home and told Jay about the Navy Seals thing, he told me that he had just started watching a documentary series on the seals. So of course, I had to watch it.
Here's a few of the things I learned that helped me better understand the dynamics of anxiety via a Navy Seals analogy.
Navy Seals maintain a hair-on-fire sense of urgency (minus any hand flapping, ha) when they are on duty. They are FOCUSED big time. This is good for military operations. Living at Def Con 5 is not a good way to live on a daily basis.
Stealth is everything. These guys can move through a jungle with the quietude of a mouse peeing on a cotton ball. Unfortunately, when we humans are in pain – and I find this especially so for mental/emotional pain, we tend to go quiet and withdraw. No bueno.
They strike hard and fast. Again, good for rescuing prisoners or stealing a cookie. NOT good when a trip to the store triggers a panic attack.
I’m telling my Navy Seals to stand down with the help of my new best friend.
PS Keep in mind - Just because we get older doesn’t mean issues from years gone by are gone. I suspect that on a deep level, we are just not ready to delve into painful things until we’re able to “go there.” Our magnificent mindbody will signal when it’s time – often via a health crisis, either mental or physical, or a turn of circumstances forces you to address it.
