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safe and sound protocol

anne_likes_red

anne_likes_red

Senior Member
Messages
1,103
shakyradical said:
hey folks,


has anyone used the safe and sound protocol as an adjunct for ME?
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Yes. I did an integrated listening systems program first, then I did the safe and sound protocol twice. All helped with sound sensitivity which was a relief, but I wouldn't say they made a lasting difference to my ME. S&S temporarily worsened my synaesthesia. The intervention is effective but I think it needs to be supported well by an experienced therapist. If you want to know more of my experience with it, feel free to message me. x
 
Rich D

Rich D

Messages
73
I have done the SSP with my therapist. I am in therapy for childhood trauma, and I have a lot of PTSD, and supposedly it can help with that. It also may help with sound sensitivity, which I have. I could only listen for 5 minute intervals. I'd say it didn't help much with sound sensitivity, or my PTSD, but they say it can have a delayed effect a few months later and I only recently completed it. I'd say it is worth a try if you have anxiety/fight flight responses, or sound sensitivity. There is no harm whatsoever. I'm also using a device with my therapist called alpha-stim to calm anxiety and help with insomnia. That device does seem to help calm my system a bit.
 
L

lenora

Senior Member
Messages
4,928
Thanks for the explanation(s).....they're helpful. The vagus nerve is incredibly important and we should all do what we can to protect it. It controls major things in the body. Yours, Lenora
 
S

shakyradical

Messages
62
Rich D said:
I have done the SSP with my therapist. I am in therapy for childhood trauma, and I have a lot of PTSD, and supposedly it can help with that. It also may help with sound sensitivity, which I have. I could only listen for 5 minute intervals. I'd say it didn't help much with sound sensitivity, or my PTSD, but they say it can have a delayed effect a few months later and I only recently completed it. I'd say it is worth a try if you have anxiety/fight flight responses, or sound sensitivity. There is no harm whatsoever. I'm also using a device with my therapist called alpha-stim to calm anxiety and help with insomnia. That device does seem to help calm my system a bit.
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so that being said I'm hearing it didn't dramatically dysregulate you after listening?

cause yeah to say no harm is seeming not accurate, as myself I have had some pretty intense disruption and others I've read have as well.

but mostly trying to figure if it's worth the suffering to continue.
 
Rich D

Rich D

Messages
73
It is important to do it under the supervision of a therapist. I don't see how it could mess you up, but maybe it isn't for everyone. Like I said, I had to be very careful and do short intervals. You can't push it.
 
perchance dreamer

perchance dreamer

Senior Member
Messages
1,701
Rich D said:
I have done the SSP with my therapist. I am in therapy for childhood trauma, and I have a lot of PTSD, and supposedly it can help with that. It also may help with sound sensitivity, which I have. I could only listen for 5 minute intervals. I'd say it didn't help much with sound sensitivity, or my PTSD, but they say it can have a delayed effect a few months later and I only recently completed it. I'd say it is worth a try if you have anxiety/fight flight responses, or sound sensitivity. There is no harm whatsoever. I'm also using a device with my therapist called alpha-stim to calm anxiety and help with insomnia. That device does seem to help calm my system a bit.
Click to expand...

I love my Alpha-Stim! It took me a lot of time and experimenting to figure out the best way for me to use it.

I need to use it with my eyes closed and at the low intensity of 1 for twenty minutes. The time it's most effective for me to use is when I wake up during the night and can't get back to sleep. It does not help me at any time other than that. When I use it this way, I get some really restorative sleep with dreams I remember.

My biofeedback therapist had told me to use it with eyes shut. She said most people's brainwaves slow down when they close their eyes, but mine speed up. The Alpha-Stim helps even out the brainwave pattern, bringing down the too-high waves that have a bad effect on sleep.
 
S

shakyradical

Messages
62
Rich D said:
It is important to do it under the supervision of a therapist. I don't see how it could mess you up, but maybe it isn't for everyone. Like I said, I had to be very careful and do short intervals. You can't push it.
Click to expand...
yeah totally it is important as you say to be under care of therapist. and I'm going slow yep and all that. I'm glad it didn't dysregulate you. I'm not totally sure why I is doing this for me (and others have had this experience as well) but by provider says something about the system only has tolerance for so much feeling of safety (especially with severe trauma history folks) and after that it has a backlash into fear, anxiety etc.

so yeah, just as you say very important to start slow and titrate.
I've just been trying to find how slow to go and if others have had the dysregulation have the benefits still showed up later.

thanks for sharing your experience rich. happy you're getting good stuff from SSP.
 
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