Titration
Titration is meeting a big feeling in small amounts - the edge of it, then pause, then come back. Flooding tends not to integrate; small doses do. It is similar to the principle behind gradual exposure, applied gently to internal states.
Titration is a somatic principle of working with intensity in small, manageable doses, paired with pauses or contact with something neutral. Nervous-system states are complex and individual. This is orientation, not diagnosis.
- a feeling that feels too big to be with all at once
- the relief of stepping back, even briefly
- the difference between the whole wave and a small edge of it
- 'I should be able to handle this'
- urge to push through and feel the whole thing
- urge to shove it down and skip it
When intensity exceeds what the system can metabolize, it can flood - and flooding rarely produces integration. Smaller doses with real pauses let the body register that the feeling is approachable, which is a different lesson than 'this is unbearable.'
- trying to 'feel all of it' to get it over with
- shaming yourself for taking small doses
- name just the edge of the feeling
- pause and orient to something neutral
- come back later, in another small dose
A small next step that fits this concept.
Create account to try this →Blue Bonsai is a small, private practice for grounding, reflection, and noticing your patterns.
Create accountPrivate by design. Not treatment.