At The Oral Surgeon

Had an adrenaline dump.

Researching that…

“An Epiphany”… when I was a small child and was in danger my body would have had an adrenaline spike, making me ready for “fight or flight”… but being little I was pinned in place and COULD NOT fight or take flight.

As an adult when my responsibilities overwhelm me… and I feel like “fighting or taking flight”… I CANNOT because of those same responsibilities.

The “epiphany”, due to my personal chaos, as a child I was exposed to things and my body had the proper response to… but I was unable to follow through and allow the natural process to complete itself.

So I’ve never truly learned how to respond to stress appropriately, everything about my responses have been disproportionate… as I became older and gained a little size.

The “mental health” folks use “the lion and gazelle” scenario to illustrate the full process.

So… there is this “small gazelle” minding his own business grazing on savanna grass, and doesn’t see a lion stalking him.

But… as the lion bursts forth from the underbrush with speed and power, at the last second before being grabbed by the lions overpowering forearms, the gazelle senses the charge and takes off like greased lightning.

Instantly both lion and gazelle hit top speed and the race for survival is on!

The gazelle uses all of his tricks, zigging instead of zagging, the speed of his ancestors and the ever present urge of self-preservation!

And this time the gazelle wins… the lion, as big and strong as he is, becomes spent… and discontinues the chase (or in our case, the abuse).

But… unlike us who are small and stuck, the gazelle had the ability “to take flight”, and as the adrenaline propelled him through the flowing veldt and made it “to live to run another day” as soon as the lion “calls no joy” our gazelle comes to a bouncy stop; looks back; and here is the most important part … He Vigorously Shakes Himself, like a dog shaking a squeaky toy, and releases the adrenaline from his system telling his body “we are ok”… and he drops his head and returns to grazing… just like that.

There are many ways “to manage” anxiety; panic attacks; and adrenaline dumps… you can use breathing techniques, daily journaling, light exercise like walking or heavy exercise like lifting weights… and ALL of these work… to a certain degree… in the moment that they are employed.

But my question is: “How can we mature past those things “THAT STILL” have us “PINNED DOWN”?

How do we finish the adrenaline fueled anxiety loop?

Can we mature past those things from our past that our body still thinks are out there waiting to hurt us.

… … … … …

I recently had a molar go rotten and needed an oral surgeon to extract it.

And to “head off” any lions, or anxiety, I had a talk with my inner child about how there is nothing to be nervous about.

I acknowledged his willingness to schedule all the appointments; gave a nod to his budgeting the cost; showed him how calling the insurance company ahead of time was a mature move… all good, all a mature handling of the process.

All went exceptionally well.

And yet… at the very end I experienced an unexpected adrenaline dump.

Unexpected… on my end, the oral surgeon assistant said, “This is very common that is why we have you sit here for a moment.”

So… me being me… I mentally catalogued the phases of this process… so I could write about it.

There was nausea; a forehead sweat; then chills; then a bit of lightheadedness; then as the blood returned to flowing my color returned and I felt normal again… so I started shaking my arms the same way our gazelle had a good shake after running for his life.

Then a small apple juice and I was as right as rain.

My daughter the therapist informed me,

“You acknowledged your anxiety by having the beforehand talk with Davey-Do, HE WAS ANXIOUS and this procedure was new terrain for him, consciously you were fine… but he still felt pinned down, he has to learn that acknowledging “the lion” doesn’t mean “the lion” is real, but he can’t quite TRUST you’ll run if there ever is a real lion, only because… he’s only ever experienced being pinned down in place.”

I feel bad for Davey-Do, all he ever wanted was for someone to explain things to him.

He does well with that.

Some say, “It’s because you picture your inner self as a child that causes your anxiety.”

Some say, “You need to create an inner picture of a champion of your life, a king, a warrior.”

I say,

“I am those things and more, Davey-Do requires the opportunity to mature in his own time… all he ever wanted to be is a cowboy… and it ain’t over till it’s over so there is always a chance.”

Jesus ends up on a horse… maybe I can too.

^“15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

The Emerging Man grabbing hold of the hand of Christ with grit!

Check out The Emerging Man Podcast on YouTube Dave Bosquez@theemergingman and all major podcast providers.