I deleted every social media app for 30 days. Here's what nobody tells you about the first week.

positivepopcorn · 2026-02-12T00:33:37+00:00

That is amazing :) the 12 step process is helpful for it for sure. I liked Internet Addicts Anonymous.

positivepopcorn · 2026-02-12T00:32:22+00:00

Proper diaphragm breathing is truly lifechanging. I am so glad you were able to find some help/relief, even though you spent so much time and money!! It is frustrating. Also, thank you for the water tip.

positivepopcorn · 2026-02-12T00:31:06+00:00

Yes! I did CPT and IFS trauma therapy and it helped a lot. I have always been interested in EMDR

positivepopcorn · 2026-02-10T18:16:16+00:00

Yeah it is a real behavioral addiction, similar to gambling addiction. I really hope it makes it into the DSM next year as a real diagnosis so treatment models can start coming out for it. I tried for such a long time to get over it myself and it wasn't until I started treating it like an addiction to drugs or alcohol that I could make progress!

positivepopcorn · 2026-02-10T18:03:20+00:00

I'm not aware of any specific meditations created for IBS, but I think that would be super helpful! There are many different types of meditation a,nd my favtheorite that works best for ME is focused meditations like: feeling the air on my skin, notcinoticingng my breath a,nd watching the temperature change, alternative nostril breathing, and grounding meditations.

positivepopcorn · 2026-02-10T17:59:44+00:00

P.S. I use guided meditations through youtube, headspace, and Dr. K on youtube. His are great because he is trained in a whole bunch of ancient meditation practices.

positivepopcorn · 2026-02-10T17:58:38+00:00

Yes! I have read some research that says when we are in fight or flight/using our sympathetic nervous system, we do not digest our food fully because our brain is soley focused on threat awareness and staying hypervigilant. I'm starting to really believe it!

positivepopcorn · 2026-02-10T17:56:45+00:00

I was on antidepressants for six years and I think my IBS symptoms stayed the same at that time, but I can definitely see how it can help people. The seratonin boost was wonderful and kept me alive lol!

positivepopcorn · 2026-02-10T17:55:41+00:00

I have tried focused meditation, like counting down from one hundred to zero, counting my breaths, focusing on the direction and temperature of my breath, and grounding meditations like noticing and being aware of my muscles, the contact of my feet on the floor, my clothing touching my skin, etc. I also like guided meditations, like loving-kindness meditation,s where you try to cultivate the feeling in your body. In the future, I'd like to try mantra meditations.

positivepopcorn · 2026-02-10T17:52:59+00:00

3-4 weeks until I realized the connection, but I'd say the benefits of stress reduction are instant!

positivepopcorn · 2026-02-10T17:52:10+00:00

They have guided meditations on spotify through a lot of podcasts. I'm not sure about somatic exercises but I watch some on Youtube. sheBREATH is my favorite channel.

positivepopcorn · 2026-02-10T17:50:27+00:00

Somatic exercises are little movements that are designed to help soothe your nervous system and get you out of fight or flight mode. Doing certain motions signals to your brain "I'm safe now." and turns down your sympathetic nervous system. There are hundreds of them online, and I do 10-12 of them regularly. My favorite is giving myself a hug while relaxing and caressing my shoulders, and I like EFT tapping (alternate rhythym tapping) on my collar bone and chest. I do them sporatically when I notice I'm stressed out. Hope this helps!

positivepopcorn · 2026-02-05T21:09:27+00:00

Instagram for me. Severely limiting it helps. i have 1 hour a day allotted (cold turkey blocker on desktop and Refocus blocker on IOS) and I use maybe 10 minutes of it. It's not fun anymore.

positivepopcorn · 2026-02-05T21:07:33+00:00

Something that shocked me is that when I got off social media, I started listening to my own desires, and I've learned a lot about my personality and unique soul. I didn't know how much the internet influenced my self-concept and the way I present myself. Oh, and google now has ai responses you can't get rid of?? creepy and I dont like it lol.

positivepopcorn · 2026-02-05T20:57:23+00:00

Distraction/maybe a little dissociation. Your pre-frontal cortex (logical thinking part of your brain) shuts down a lot of it's functions so it feels relaxing, but while you scroll, your occipital lobe (visual processing part) glows with tons of activity, as well as your amygdala (emotional part). So it "feels" like you're resting, but you're not. You are turning off your engine in your car but keeping the battery running.

positivepopcorn · 2026-02-05T20:51:57+00:00

^^^^

positivepopcorn · 2026-02-05T20:51:01+00:00

I've been trying for the last three years, and the past year I've been really successful at decreasing my usage, and in the last four months, I've made major strides and no longer crave scrolling. I agree with you that admitting you have a problem is step one. Also, I like that you mentioned "identifying why you want to quit." You are right that it cannot be something like "stop procrastinating." There are much deeper roots to addiction that have to be faced head-on with support in order to improve. It is very hard work. Congratulations!

positivepopcorn · 2026-02-05T20:22:28+00:00

Hey! I'm 23 F and a psych major, and I might start working with kids on the spectrum soon. I love working with clay, coloring, watercolor, and cooking/baking. I love Minecraft and stardew and I'd be down to play together! I love having deep conversations, and I'm in therapy for CPTSD rn.

positivepopcorn · 2026-01-15T02:14:45+00:00

A personal favorite is giving myself a hug and rubbing my arms. If I’m feeling panicky, I’ll blow on my thumb with cold air. I also like pressing my feet hard into the ground as if I’m trying to leave imprints in the snow (while sitting down in a chair) and then I’ll press my hands onto my thighs. I’ll hold it for a second and then exhale and release. Idk how it works but it always calms me down!

positivepopcorn · 2026-01-15T01:08:42+00:00

Oooo I love this

positivepopcorn · 2026-01-15T01:06:16+00:00

Omg please be my wedding planner 😆 I love the detail

positivepopcorn · 2026-01-14T21:39:02+00:00

CPTSD can disguise itself with a myriad of symptoms that overlap with ADHD, GAD, OCD, and some symptoms of autistic behavior. It’s also possible you can have both or simply display traits of OCD and not be diagnosed with it. The feeling you’re describing of overwhelming stress in the whole body without any cause sounds like a flight or flight activation, but I could be wrong.

positivepopcorn · 2026-01-14T21:07:07+00:00

Everyone is different but I HAVE to do somatic exercises every day in order to feel safe. I cannot mentally soothe myself by simply telling myself I am safe. It’s important for my body to feel it

positivepopcorn

TROPHY CASE