Maybe you’ve had this feeling, but didn’t recognize it. You’re comfortable, under a soft blanket, reading a book or magazine and sipping on a warm beverage. You feel at ease. Then, you see it. A sand dollar-sized spider has crept into your view.
You sit up and freeze. You stare at it. The spider noticed you and it stopped moving. Your breathing slows, but your heart rate increases. You feel paralyzed. You don’t want to lose track of the spider. The blanket is no longer comforting you. Instead, it is something the spider can explore. You haven’t looked at your book or sipped your drink in three minutes. You feel incapable of doing anything. You’re “stuck” in that position. You stare.
This feeling of instant, prolonged panic is what I endure on a regular basis. After a challenging day, I will sit down and process what happened. Some days, I mentally write my to-do- list. Fold laundry, clean litter box, shower.
Unfortunately, I’ll find myself sitting in one position for 20 minutes, to just over an hour. I’m thinking about what I need to do. I try to communicate one at a time to my arms and legs to move. I’m not physically disabled. I’m psychologically overwhelmed.
I try to focus on my breathing. I’ve been told to take long, steady breaths. This tremendously helps.
Just last week, I was “stuck.” I tried to call my husband in the other room. I failed to part my lips and make a sound. It was that moment that had me feeling so pathetic, I was able to cry. My husband heard me and sat next to me. He sat me upright and helped me resume the night.
Have you or a family member been “stuck?” What helps you unpause your day?