Harmony counselling uk

30/12/2025

30/12/2025

Check out Positively Annie 😀’s post.

24/12/2025

“BED ROTTING”
Where the term came from and what does it mean

It makes perfect sense why you’re seeing this linked to ADHD everywhere—the term "bed rotting" really took off in neurodivergent circles as a way to describe ADHD paralysis.
However, it is absolutely a core part of the CPTSD experience too. The reason they look so similar is that both involve the same "circuit breaker" in the brain. Whether you have ADHD or CPTSD, when the brain gets overwhelmed, it can flip a switch that says: "Everything is too much; shut down now."
Here is how "bed rotting" specifically shows up in CPTSD and why it might feel different than the ADHD version:
CPTSD "Freeze" vs. ADHD "Paralysis"
While the result (staying in bed) is the same, the "why" often differs:

Why CPTSD sends you to bed:
1. Functional Freeze: This is a state where you aren't "resting" in the traditional sense; your nervous system is still on high alert, but it’s "playing dead" to survive the stress.
2. Emotional Cocooning: For many with CPTSD, the bed is the only place where no one is looking at you, judging you, or needing anything from you. It’s a "safe zone" when your hypervigilance is at its peak.
3. The "Crash" after Hypervigilance: If you spent your day (or week) scanning for danger or people-pleasing, your body eventually runs out of cortisol. You don't just get tired; you "collapse" into bed because the tank is empty.

In CPTSD, that guilt is often accompanied by shame. You might feel like you're "lazy" or "failing at life," but in reality, your body is protecting you from a nervous system breakdown. When you are in "freeze" mode, your brain’s prefrontal cortex (the part that makes plans and gets you out of bed) actually goes offline. You aren't "choosing" to stay in bed; your brain has temporarily disabled the "Go" button.

When someone with ADHD "bed rots," it usually looks like ADHD Paralysis. To an outsider, it looks exactly like the CPTSD freeze response, but the internal "engine" is different.
In ADHD, bed rotting often feels less like "hiding from a threat" and more like a mental traffic jam.

If you could feel what an ADHD brain feels like during bed rotting, it would feel like this:
1. The "Wall of Awful"
Imagine you need to get up to brush your teeth. In an ADHD brain, that task isn't just one step. It's a "Wall of Awful" made of: Where is my toothbrush? The light is too bright. The mint flavor is too strong. I haven't done the dishes yet. If I brush my teeth, I have to shower. If I shower, I have to do laundry. * The Result: The brain gets overwhelmed by the "sequence" of steps and simply shuts down the motor system. You stay in bed because your brain can't find the "First Step."
2. "Under-Stimulation" Physical Pain
Surprisingly, doing nothing with ADHD can feel physically uncomfortable. It’s a restless, itchy feeling in the skin or a "buzzing" in the head. Staying in bed is often an attempt to block out all noise/light because the brain is too tired to process it, but it's also a trap because the brain is starving for a "hit" of interest.
3. The "Brain Crash" (The Spinning Wheel)
It feels like a computer that has too many tabs open. You want to get up. You are screaming at yourself to get up. But the connection between your "intent" and your "muscles" is severed.
• The Feeling: It’s not "I don't want to move"; it's "I am trying to move, but the 'Go' button is broken."
The Biggest Difference: Fear vs. Friction
• CPTSD Bed Rotting: Driven by Fear/Safety. The bed is a shield. Your body is heavy because it is in "Safe Mode" (Freeze).
• ADHD Bed Rotting: Driven by Friction/Overload. The bed is a landing pad for a crashed system. Your body is heavy because your brain can't decide which signal to send to your legs first.

24/12/2025

Have an amazing day tomorrow however you choose to spend it! wishing you all a peaceful christmas 🥰
Annie

22/12/2025

Not everyone will feel this! for some it might be hoarding, or a disabling bout of anxiety at the thought of letting anything go! But sometimes it looks like this! never being able to settle in a home, or feel like you belong there or that its truely your home!

Did you know many survivors of narcissistic abuse live for years without decorating their home?

(Read the caption to understand why.)

Many survivors don’t realize this is a trauma response, not a personality flaw.

Living with a narcissist teaches you that taking up space is dangerous. Your choices are criticized, your taste is mocked, and anything that brings you comfort is treated like an inconvenience or a threat.

Over time, you stop making choices altogether. Bare walls, unopened boxes, and empty rooms become a form of self-protection, because invisibility once meant peace.

Even after the abuse ends, the nervous system hasn’t caught up to the reality of freedom. Decorating feels risky because it requires ownership, preference, and presence — all things that were punished before.

Survivors were conditioned to believe they didn’t deserve beauty, comfort, or permanence, so the home stays temporary, like they’re still waiting to be told they don’t belong.

Healing begins quietly, often with something small: choosing a color, placing an object with intention, allowing softness back into the space.

For survivors, decorating isn’t about style — it’s about reclaiming identity, safety, and the right to exist without fear.

19/12/2025

As we approach the end of week! i am so grateful to be where i am! i love working with you guys! and i am so happy to be back doing what i do best!
When i decided to become a therapist, i spent almost 10 years in total becoming properly trained, i became fully registered and i made a promise to myself, BACP, and most importantly to you guys!!
Your trust in me! and protecting your confidentiality have and always will be my top priority. I am only human though and sometimes i too need to make changes in my own life, to ensure i am practicing ethically and protecting you and me!!
These past few months ive been away, were needed! but i have truely loved meeting all my new clients this week and beginning our Journey working together!
I still have some availability left, although it is limited
Please do get in touch if you’d like to ask any questions or book an appointment via the link below
Annie 💖

Annie Kerr - Harmony Counselling services, Counsellor, Ayr, KA7, Harmony counselling services is a UK based ONLINE therapy service! My name is Annie and i am a BACP registered integrative counsellor and mental health practitioner. Navigating life is challenging for all of us. Navigating life with un...

17/12/2025

Check out Positively Annie 😀’s video.

16/12/2025

None of this is new information! We already know there are overlaps with several mental health illnesses, the key would be looking at distinct proteins or brain behaviours to find patterns!
Also we already know that trauma, left unhealed will continue to cause inflammation and inflammatory conditions!! including the destruction of the mylin sheath, so it stands to reason that equally the destruction of the mylin sheath contributes to depression and anxiety! Its good that modern science is catching up with what psychiatry has known for decades!