u/Forward-Return8218

We are 40 years old. Our system is composed of mostly baby, toddlers, parts younger than 4, a handful of parts in the range of 5-23 years old.

Due to my life circumstances of needing to work, live on my own and no social support system, I am constantly stressed and overstimulated. Bogged down with cptsd and isolated.

I have one adult and one “ageless” part and the adult inside is extremely tired therefore young parts jump in.

How are people coping who have mostly littles/ younger developmentally aged parts with minimal adult internal guidance?

We are 6 months free from cannabis.

Since then, I’ve experienced constant crying on weekdays. I’ve been calling the crying (young parts crying) ‘emotional flashbacks’. I’m not sure if I’m mis categorizing the experience or if this is a typical process of sobriety?

I am in 12 step relational programs like ACA- adult children of alcoholics and support groups for survivors. I hear it’s common for feelings and memories to resurface during sobriety, but wondering how to differentiate this as part of sobriety or something else?

Honestly, I feel like I’m loosing it.

For the last 6 months we have been experiencing weekday flashbacks, rarely on the weekend.

I stopped smoking weed and the flashbacks started.

Young parts crying in the inside, overwhelmed and feeling like we are going to die.

I am in therapy and it’s not helping. Currently in the search for a new therapist.

Has anyone experienced this? What has helped?

This is what I have done

- caring for crying parts, letting ourself cry, getting ourself to a safe place (our bed or hammock)

- checking in with other parts (other parts get triggered and recall times that they couldn’t cry) and reassuring them

- grounding when I can (54321 grounding, keeping our eyes open while we cry so we don’t feel so destabilized, reminding ourself that we have survived this before)

- attempting to “un blend” and get a little space between the part and I

- acknowledging and normalizing this is our here and now experience and that we are no longer in the last

I work and my job is stressful. However I can’t afford to not work. I don’t have any friends local that I can see in person, very isolated. we are exhausted and real life social commitments are too hard to maintain.

I don’t know what else to do. Anyone experience this before? What has helped?

Thank you in advance for your responses