I should be asleep but can’t due to being in a high adrenaline situation (escalated roadrage, not fighting) couple hours ago. Was my first time in such situation so any tips for dealing with high adrenaline situations afterwards?
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When remembering a stressful experience it’s important not to get stuck in your thoughts.
Most people would be a bit shocked after what you’ve been through. Our brains tend to try to go over things a few times to get a grasp at what happened. Sometimes our thoughts become a movie of the stressful incident that plays on repeat in our thoughts. Try to think further. Remember how you got out of the situation, remember how you got home, remember how you had dinner, remember how you got to bed. And remember: You’re okay, you’re alright, this is all behind you, you did alright, and right now you’re safe and fine.
Try to explicitly think this a few times. At the very least, this is a much more pleasant thought to get stuck on than “fuck, I’m in danger”.
And if it helps: Either distract yourself or tell someone what happened. Both are okay. Just don’t stop at the scary part when telling the tale, always think and tell about it to the point where you were safe again.
Box breathing can help. Inhale slowly for four seconds. Hold for four seconds. Exhale slowly for four seconds. Hold for four seconds. Repeat the cycle a few times.
This one is B.J. Blazkowicz approved: https://youtu.be/5-wQyW1o-xY&t=41
Interestingly, I really did take this to heart after playing that game. I’ve modified it to 3 seconds for myself, but when I’ve been extra anxious and/or feeling a panic attack coming it’s helped tremendously.
Here is an alternative Piped link(s): https://piped.video/5-wQyW1o-xY&
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
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I had similar situations alot back in my cashier time. I learned that i easily get into hypoglycemia after these. So eating something that fixes the sugar in your blood might help.
Do you know if it means anything if I get hypoglycemia often?
I am no doctor. But in my experience, healthy eating with much fibers helps with that. Anything with much sugar or much carbs like soft drinks or white bread make it worse. Its a really compex topic, so if you have problems with it go either to a doctor or google and Experiment by yourself, but watch out for potential scams like food supplements.
Good luck
Drink a ton of water and try not to eat too much. You’re metabolizing it and clearing metanephrine, that’s how you feel better.
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Metanephrine, the metabolite of epinephrine
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Physical exercise. Run, lift weights, whatever. That’s what the adrenaline was designed to make happen, so make it happen and the energy will be exerted appropriately.
This works best for me as well. Put the adrenaline to work for you.
Music usually helps.
Once I’ve gotten myself out of the immediate situation I tend to sit down and shake for a while. My system always wants to do that when coming down off an adrenaline surge. After that I think through what happened and come to terms with it as best I can. Finally, I find a friend to talk with, get it out of my system, and move on to other things that are more interesting to talk about. If no one is available, I engage in some activity that I find relaxing (reading, watching a movie, walking in the woods, etc.).
I tend to talk about it with my family or friends. Let the anger out, and feel understood. If its too much anger for just talking, I recommend physical activities, something to get you exhausted.
Two ways to deal with adrenaline: slowing its release and blocking its binding.
You can block its binding using drugs like propranolol, which is a beta blocker.
You can slow its release by sitting still, in a comfortable place, breathing in such a way that your exhalation is longer than your inhalation. Ideally, you make the exhalation as long as you possibly can. Keep that up for 10 minutes.
There are tons of other methods of lowering your physiological arousal:
- Drink some warm milk
- Stretch
- Meditate
This might sound weird but a bowl of milk and sliced banana always calms me down and makes me sleepy
I usually puke and then go to sleep for 4-6 hours. I’m sure this is not healthy, but you asked how I do compel not how I should. These other responses about Tetris and healthy coping mechanisms are much better than what I do.
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Why not all 3 at once?
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The Free Mindfulness Project has many guided meditations which are free to use under Creative Commons.
Around 3-10mins each, recommended to lie down with headphones.
Same here. Waking up changed my life.
Blunt trauma
Use the nervous energy to do something useful, or barring that take a walk, but if that’s likely to up my adrenaline even more, then I shower
