PLAYING DEAD
Ever hear of the myotonic goats? Their muscles all freeze up when they panic. Then, with all of their muscles frozen, they keel over and look like they’re playing dead. Which turns out to be a great way for them to deal with predators. There’s nothing to hunt if the goat is already dead, so the predator just moves on.
Some people essentially react to major life stress in much the same way. Unfortunately, “playing dead” – i.e. freezing up to the point where you stop functioning – works much better for goats than it does for us.
What causes people to freeze up and stop functioning?
Most people who experience this are high-functioning, highly-intelligent, “Type A” personalities who are accustomed to being in control. Then two or more extremely difficult life events hit at once and they just shut down.
What type of life events tend to cause this problem?
Any series of challenges can trigger it, but often it’s two or more of the following:
Death of a loved one
Upsetting family drama
Betrayal by a trusted friend
End of a marriage or relationship
Unemployment
Retirement
New event that triggers the memory of a traumatic event that happened in the past
What are the symptoms?
When a person shuts down, they often:
Isolate themselves from others
Feel unmotivated to do anything
Have difficulty getting out of bed
Stop responding to calls, emails or texts
Neglect personal hygiene
Stop making plans or creating structure in their lives
Stop paying the bills and cleaning the house
What can you do to “come back to life”?
As a Board Certified Hypnotist, I’ve helped many patients stop “playing dead” and start functioning and enjoying life again. My Unique 5-Session Hypnotherapy Program is designed to eliminate problems at their root…permanently. If you or someone you know is suffering from this problem, please give me a call at 347-470-8262 to schedule a free telephone consultation. I’m here for you.
