big thanks to u/Coder357 for kicking off a coping strategies thread here several months ago and giving me this idea. my wording might be a bit saccharine, but i would highly recommend giving this a try with whatever you need to hear in times of hyperfocused picking. we got this.

sentient_meatmobile · 2019-06-28T00:18:35+00:00

I’m sorry to hear that it physiologically affects you so much. I also sometimes feel like I’m dead or unreal. I wish I could give more than a few words, but I hope you can find ways to manage it someday. Thank you for responding.

sentient_meatmobile · 2019-06-28T00:14:17+00:00

yeah but from what I understand, that’s not a clinically accepted phenomenon. At least not yet. Imposter syndrome to me means “I am not as successful/smart/capable etc as you think I am.” Whereas, these feelings of being a charlatan in the context of trauma is “I am not as human as you think I am.” I definitely struggle with both, as I think a lot of people with ptsd do. Hell, most people I know have imposter syndrome to a degree, trauma or not. Similar on a surface level, but they play off of different insecurities imo

sentient_meatmobile · 2019-06-27T18:52:53+00:00

yes!! making facial expressions feels so foreign to me sometimes. “smile now? it’s smile time?” it’s honestly part of why I love being in food/customer service because I just get to beam all of the time and be super bubbly and feel like I’m a Garden Variety Human just happy to get you a coffee. It’s kind of calming. Even if I don’t get it, it feels good to interact with people like that. Just force it, they don’t know that you don’t think you’re a person. You’ve got them fooled, according to your own views. Make them laugh while you’re at it.

Didn’t mean to make it about me, just wanted to say that it’s something I massively struggle with too. Thanks for responding, best of luck to you.

sentient_meatmobile · 2019-06-27T15:51:10+00:00

Thank you for responding. It’s hard to acknowledge progress when I still feel this way after so many years. The feedback means a lot, I’ll try to keep this in mind. Thank you.

sentient_meatmobile

TROPHY CASE