The Negativity Bias of the Brain | Healing from Complex Ptsd

Linda Meredith

Raw and Real: Self discovery of the week, once a flashback occurs, abandonment depression happens, any type of unconscious trigger, the negativity bias of the brain is in play again AND I have to be able to spot it. Once I spot the negativity bias driven thoughts I can then return to being who I am AND pursuing each day with passionate pursuit in my work, my relationships, my life!

Raw and Real: Self discovery of the week, once a flashback occurs, abandonment depression happens, any type of unconscious trigger, the negativity bias of the brain is in play again AND I have to be able to spot it. Once I spot the negativity bias driven thoughts I can then return to being who I am AND pursuing each day with passionate pursuit in my work, my relationships, my life!

To recognise the negativity bias listen to your thoughts beyond the regular, day to day ones. For example, I exercise first thing every morning. Once the negativity bias is activated I find myself hooked into emotions driving thoughts of “it can wait, I did it yesterday, no rush and so much more.” The powerful part of this is that our brain has literally been triggered, emotions (the limbic system) are running the show, and it is incredibly hard not to cave into the negative bias BECAUSE IT’S OUR WHOLE INTERNAL SYSTEM in fight, flight, freeze or fawn mode, driven by our brains primary defence mechanism to survive. Yes, just over getting dressed and going out to exercise.

What to do: For me, my routine is so ingrained in my daily life that once I recognised this negativity bias I was able to bring my thoughts into the current moment and say to myself “not today negativity bias, I’m off to gym because it’s healthy for me.” I found my body so frozen it was literally had to move my muscles. i.e. I had to consciously move each part of my body to get up out of the bed. Yes, recovery is intentional, hard work.

Next I kept choosing my thoughts about where I’m going with my one next step. Literally, just the next thing I had to do. The negativity bias is so POWERFUL I could literally only focus on doing the next thing. i.e. get dressed, feed the cat, take medication/vitamins, put shoes on, make my heart starter and drink, put my shoes and socks on, put the cat on the windowsill, grab my cold water, my bag, get my keys, drive to gym.

When I finally arrived at gym and was walking on the treadmill I very nearly shed tears of joy. Instead I grinned like a Cheshire Cat because I’m going to win this battle.

Share this post

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Join 3,452 other subscribers

14 ways Complex Ptsd impacts Adults

April 1, 2023 No Comments

Childhood trauma can have a profound impact on a person’s development, and can manifest in various ways in adulthood.

Complex Ptsd & Recognising the Abandonment Wound

March 18, 2023 No Comments

Self-abandonment cycle refers to a pattern of behavior where individuals neglect their own needs, emotions, and values in order to please others or to conform to societal expectations. This cycle can lead to feelings of low self-worth, depression, and anxiety.

8 Signs of Abandonment Depression

March 18, 2023 No Comments

I never believed that I have depression in the normal sense of what’s regarded as depression. I’m not somebody who’s walked around going, oh I’m depressed and I really feel it in my body. For me in the beginning the depression just used to knock me out. I’d be getting ready to go and exercise and I’d wake up with one gym shoe and suck on and go, what happened? There’s videos of all the things that I’ve done along the way to get to where I am today.

Let's Create Generational Change Together

By leading the way with effective complex trauma recovery across the globe, we have the power to be the generation that breaks the cycle of abuse and intergenerational trauma.

To support this goal, Healing from Complex PTSD allows you to:

Access professional education and business support from industry leaders
Learn a results-driven approach to CPtsd recovery
Discover a full library of ready-to-use tools and resources

Follow us on social media with the links below

Sign up to our newsletter to get notified of special offers and new content

Quick Links

Disclaimer: This website may use affiliate links, meaning: at no additional cost to you, we earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I feature products that I believe in. Your support means the world and allows me to host this website. Thank you!

©healingfromcomplexptsd.com2023