I recently accessed a memory (or maybe memories) from pre-verbal times in which I was very very scared. It could have been something very small, but at the time it felt BIG. I know it felt big at the time because it felt big to me again. I became scared, crying and thinking about what horrible thing might have happened. I then realized I was repeating the cycle, the pattern of anxiety. Crying and dreading and worrying about this specific horrible memory was not why I retrieved it. I snapped into reparenting mode and cried some more while also reassuring myself that I am okay, that everything will be okay, and that I am safe. If you find yourself spiraling into the vortex of intrusive thoughts, try remembering why you’re scared rather than what you’re afraid of. Maybe your parent couldn’t be there, physically or emotionally, to soothe your frequent fears. Reassure yourself that the thing you are now anxious about, or maybe you can’t even remember why you’re anxious, is because you need reassurance. The parent in you needs to hear the child that he or she is scared, and the child in you needs to be reassured that you’re safe. Happy healing everyone 💕