Mind-Body Workbook for PTSD (19 page)

Body Tension:

______________________________

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Fill out this chart using the info on your map:

The My Most Troubling Negative Self-Belief map shows how your I-System captures natural thoughts about your traumatic event, and how the depressor and fixer then create storylines that embed negativity in every cell of your body, disrupting your life. Your I-System’s requirements keep this vicious cycle going, but defusing your requirements lets you break the cycle.

Sample Map: My Most Troubling Negative Self-Belief

3. Do the map again, writing the same negative self-belief in the oval. Before you continue writing,listen to background sounds, feel your body’s pressure on your seat, sense your feet on the floor, and feel the pen in your hand. Once you’re settled, keep feeling the pen in your hand, and start writing any thoughts that come to mind about that belief. As you write, keep paying attention to background sounds, feeling the pen in your hand, and watching the ink go onto the paper.

My Most Troubling Negative Self-Belief Map with Bridging

1. How is this map different from the previous one?
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

2. List the requirements from your previous map that you feel you can defuse:
   

   ______________________________
   

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3. List the requirements from your previous map that you feel will be difficult to defuse:
   

   ______________________________
   

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4. Use your bridging awareness practices and thought labeling on these requirements and notice if the tension lessens. What happens?
   

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   ______________________________
   

Day Five     Date:____________

Healing Negative Self Beliefs

Let’s review your mind-body bridging tools for healing negative self-beliefs related to your trauma:

• Bridging awareness practices—
  When you notice negative self-talk and body tension related to your traumatic event, recognize it as a sign of an overactive I-System, tune in to your senses, and then mindfully return to what you were doing.
  
• Thought labeling—
  When a negative thought pops into your mind, remember, a thought is just a thought. Label your negative thoughts as mere thoughts, and return to what you were doing. For example, when
  I’ll never be the same
  pops into your mind, say to yourself,
  I’m having the thought “I’ll never be the same,” and it’s just a thought
  .
  
• Storyline awareness—
  When you catch yourself mulling over stories about negative self-beliefs, notice the repetitive themes, recognize them as storylines, and return to the task at hand. It doesn’t matter if the stories are true or false, positive or negative. Remember, it’s not your negative thoughts that get you down or your positive thoughts that pull you up; your storylines create mind clutter and fill every cell of your body with tension, supporting the depressor-fixer cycle. Your I-System’s capturing of stories is what takes you away from the present.
  
• Mapping—
  Use the mind-body bridging maps. The first map helps you find your requirements about negative self-beliefs related to your trauma. Noticing your body tension is what helps you find these requirements. Use your bridging awareness practices on the second map to see the truth about negative self-beliefs and return to your natural functioning true self.
  
• Defusing requirements—
  When you notice body tension and negative self-talk, take a moment to use your mind-body bridging tools to identify your requirement (for example, if you notice the self-talk
  I’ll never be the same
  , you might find that the requirement is
  I should be just as I was before
  ). Remember, your current distress is from an overactive I-System, not past events. Staying aware of your requirement as it comes up in real time reduces its power. You will know you have defused the requirement when you notice sudden or gradual release of body tension.
  

1. During the day, use your mind-body bridging tools to keep negative self-talk and self-beliefs from getting you down and interfering with your life.

What happened?

It’s not your trauma that’s interfering with your life; it’s your requirements that keep the past from becoming the past. It’s impossible for negative self-beliefs to keep going when the I-System is quiet. Negative self-beliefs mean your requirements are disconnecting you from your self-healing power. You are starting to see that no matter what you went through in the past, your mind-body bridging practices can change your life.

2. Do a map using your most persistent negative self-belief related to your trauma. Write it in the oval, and around the oval jot your thoughts about that negative self-belief. Work quickly, without editing your thoughts. Describe your body tension at the bottom of the map.

Most Persistent Negative Self-Belief About My Trauma Map

Body Tension:

______________________________

______________________________

1. What are your depressors?
   

   ______________________________
   

2. What are your fixers?
   

   ______________________________
   

3. What are your storylines?
   

   ______________________________
   

4. For each thought on your map, find and list the underlying requirement (for example, if you thought,
   It will never be over
   , the requirement might be
   I should be over it by now
   ).
   

   ______________________________
   

   These requirements activate the I-System, recycle your trauma, and prevent healing. Remember, it’s not the event that’s the problem; it’s the requirements. Recognizing and defusing your requirements creates space for you to heal yourself.
   

3. Do the map again, writing the same negative self-belief in the oval. Before you continue writing,listen to background sounds, feel your body’s pressure on your seat, sense your feet on the floor, and feel the pen in your hand. Once you’re settled, keep feeling the pen in your hand, and start writing any thoughts that come to mind about that self-belief. As you write, keep paying attention to background sounds, feeling the pen in your hand, and watching the ink go onto the paper.

Most Persistent Negative Self-Belief About My Trauma Map with Bridging

1. How is this map different from the previous one?
   

   ______________________________
   

2. How would you live your life in this state?
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

   You are starting to realize that it’s your requirements about the trauma that activate your I-System, not your negative thoughts. Using bridging maps shows you the power of mind-body bridging practices. You’ve also begun to see the effect of your self-healing powers on your PTSD symptoms.
   

Day Six     Date:____________

Your success in healing negative self-beliefs related to your trauma is dependent on your ability to defuse requirements for yourself.

1. Notice whatever success you have with defusing requirements throughout your day:

1. How long does negative self-talk go on before you can recognize that your I-System is active?
   

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   Do you recognize the requirements that are related to your trauma? If so, list them:
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

   How can you defuse them?
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

2. For those negative self-beliefs that continue, it’s helpful to repeat the Most Persistent Negative Self-Belief About My Trauma maps on a separate piece of paper.