I’m going to get a little bit personal – I HATE being called “jumpy” and it happens pretty often!
👻 I am jumpy as f*ck – I jump at loud noises and sudden noises and people suddenly appearing when I’m not expecting it! It’s embarrassing and I hate it and it has been the cause for alot of laughter and teasing at my expense, but I can’t help it 🙈
👻 My old therapist explained it very well to me. In a nutshell, and not in nearly as articulate a way as he put it, we all have a ‘fire alarm’ system built into our brains (specifically in that little bit called the amygdala). The alarm system has a really important job, which is to alert us to danger and threats to our safety, like a fire alarm going off when there’s a fire, and subsequently keeping us alive 🚨
👻 For people who have experienced trauma (examples include violence, assault, abuse, etc. but trauma comes in many forms) often their fire alarm system becomes far more sensitive! It goes off when there are not real threats present – sort of like a fire alarm sounding when someone just lights up a cigarette, rather than a curtain being on fire. 🔥
👻 My amygdala loses her sh!t around loud and sudden noises, as well as crowds and sometimes, strangers, particularly strange men. Unfortunately this is just the way my brain has adapted to protect me from danger as a result of trauma, even though sometimes she ends up perceiving non-dangerous situations as dangerous. I’m always like “girllll I appreciate you but you need to chill, you’re ruining my day” 😂 but she is getting better with therapy and practice! 💪🏻🔥
👻 Anyone who struggles with this anxiety and panic and fear knows how exhausting and frustrating and frightening it can be. I see you ❤️ it’s not your fault!
👻 So please be patient with us “jumpy” huns. We can’t help it. We are *literally* wired differently. Please be gentle and compassionate with your language. Although many people are totally ok with being called jumpy and can laugh at it, for many of us it’s a reminder of our trauma and that we are in some way “damaged”, and that can sting more than a bad UTI 💥
