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Chapter 3 – Break the Tyranny of Negative Thoughts – PTSD Workbook

June 6, 2021 by Helen

PTSD is full of recurring, disturbing and intrusive thoughts, many of which become negative self-beliefs, beliefs you have about yourself.
The I-System captures certain thoughts and gets stuck on them. This keeps the I-System “on” and the true self “off”.
Because the true self is in charge of healing, you can’t heal while this is happening, leaving you feeling discouraged and damaged.
Mind-body bridging practices quiet the I-System, letting your ability to heal yourself resume on its own.
What do we do about those recurring, disturbing and intrusive negative thoughts? You already know that pushing them away only gives them more energy.
The mind works with both positive and negative thoughts. The only time we will get rid of our negative thoughts is when we’re brain-dead.
Our naturally functioning true-self creates harmony and balance with both sides of opposite thoughts. e.g. being sick and being well are both conditions of the mind-body. Your true self deals appropriately with each.
But the I-System has a totally different approach. The I-System has a part (subsystem) called the “depressor”. The depressor works by taking your negative thoughts and self-talk (things you say to yourself), and creating body tension and mind clutter. It takes a negative thought like “I’m a loser. I can’t do it. I’ll never be the same. I’m no good, or I’m damaged”, and weaves a story about that thought; embedding the negativity into every cell of your body. You are left seeing yourself as incomplete, damaged or broken and you have a story to prove it! This state is known as the “damaged self”.
The original question, “What do I do about my negative thought?” now becomes “What do I do about my depressor?”. That’s what this chapter is all about.
Day 1:
05/31/21 (Monday)
The “depressor” is the doom and gloom of your I-System, using negative self-talk to reinforce the damaged self. Today, you’ll begin to recognize your negative self-talk.
Throughout the day, notice and log your negative self-talk. Note the nature (such as sharp, cramping, painful, heavy, or tense), location, and intensity of any body tension that comes with it.
Negative Self-Talk and Body Tension
Do a “Depressor” map. Around the word “Depressor”, scatter your negative self-talk and any thoughts you have when you’re bummed out. List your Body Tension at the bottom of the map.
What’s your behavior like when your depressor is active?
The thoughts on your map are natural thoughts that happen to be negative. The depressor works by grabbing a negative thought and embedding the negativity in your body. The resulting distress you feel starts the vicious cycle as more negative thoughts follow. This creates a heavy burden that affects how you live your life. Seeing how this depressor works breaks this vicious cycle.
Let’s see how your “depressor” works. From the map you made, take the thought that creates a lot of body tension and disturbs you the most (e.g. I can’t do anything right) and write it in the center of your map – “Troubling Thought From My Depressor Map”. Now, scatter around the oval any thoughts that come to mind. Use phrases or complete sentences like “I was fine before”. List your body tensions at the bottom of the map.
The map you just did holds the key to controlling your depressor. All the thoughts on your map are spun into stories (true or not) by your I-System. Just think about the stories that come to mind about your negative thoughts. These are called “storylines”. It’s very important to recognize and become aware of their power.
Storylines are the link between any negative thought that pops into your mind and the mind-body distress you experienced on the last two maps.
The I-System’s spinning storyline takes a natural negative thought and embeds the negativity into every cell of your body, thereby making a mind-body connection.
Storylines keep the I-System going, taking you away from the present moment and keeping you from living your life at its best.
Without the depressor’s storylines, negative thoughts can not cause any distress.
Be aware of your storylines. Tell yourself “I am having the thought of…” and then become aware of your surroundings and your senses.
This powerful tools is called “Storyline Awareness“ – you don’t need to push the story away; you just need to be aware of it. Your awareness melts the storyline.
Do this exercise: Start mulling over one of your most powerful storylines and try to keep it going. Now, be aware of the background sounds and observe how your storyline unfolds. Is it running out of gas? Do you see how powerful your AWARENESS is? What do you notice?
Look back at the items on your Depressor map and consider each one. See if you can find additional storylines. When spun by your I-System, storylines are just stories; they have a direct physical effect on your body and try to create your reality.
By using your storyline awareness tool (just being aware of the storyline) during the day, you’ll see how much of your day storylines swallow up.
Day 2:
06/06/21 (Sun)
A. Throughout the day, notice when your depressor gets you down.
Observe your body tension, storylines, and behaviors. Note how your depressor interferes with your natural functioning, making you see yourself as damaged.
a. How do you recognize when your depressor is overactive?
e.g. heavy body, tight feeling in stomach, thoughts that I’m no good.
b. What’s your behavior like?
e.g. become irritable, want to get away from people, eat too much.
c. How does it interfere with your natural functioning?
e.g. don’t make good decisions, am a lousy parents, etc.
d. Do you experience yourself as damaged?
If Yes, how so?
e. What were today’s storylines?
e.g. The thought – My life is too hard. The storyline – I can’t get things done. I’m not the person I need to be. Why did this happen to me? I’m too tired to get through the day…
f. If what ways are these thoughts and storylines creating who you are?
g. What are your requirements?
e.g. My life should be easier. I should get things done. I should be the person I used to be. This shouldn’t have happened to me. I shouldn’t be worn out.
B. Do a Depressor map, scattering your negative self-talk around the paper. Write as much as you can for a couple of minutes. Describe your body tension at the body of the map.
a. Body Tension:
b. Did you have thoughts like “I’m a loser”? Remember, labeling your thoughts lets you see that a thought is just a thought, which keeps your from identifying with the content of that thought. Instead of thinking, “I’m a loser”, say to yourself, “I’m having the thought that ~ I’m a loser”.
Can you see that the problem is not the content of your thoughts, but rather the depressor capturing that thought, spinning a storyline, and embedding the negativity in your mind and body?
When your awareness prevents the depressor from embedding the negativity of your thoughts into your body, we call it “befriending your depressor”.
Observations:
Day 3:
Day 4:
Day 5:
Day 6:
Day 7:

Source(s): Mind-Body Workbook for PTSD. A 10-Week Program for Healing After Trauma. By Stanley H. Block, MD, & Carolyn Bryant Block

Chapter 2 – Improve Everyday Life by Melting Away Your Tension – PTSD Workbook

May 31, 2021 by Helen

For now, let’s focus on the role the I-System plays in keeping your PTSD going.
The truth is that right here, right now, you are healing yourself from PTSD when your I-System in resting.
In Chapter 1, you learned to use your foundation tools (bridging awareness practices and thought labeling) to quiet your overactive I-System.
In this chapter, you will learn to use tools that prevent the I-System from getting activated. You will move from a reactive state to a proactive state.
The I-System is like our temperature regulation system. When the I-System requirements are not fulfilled, we have body tension, mind clutter, and trouble doing what we need to do.
The natural state of the I-System is to rest. It is activated only by “requirements”.
“Requirements” are rules your I-System has about how you and the world should be at any moment, e.g. my spouse should be more understanding, people should be more considerate of one another, etc.
Noticing your I-System’s requirements is the first step to keeping everyday events from negatively affecting you.
Any thought becomes a requirement when it triggers the I-System into action. When your I-System is resting and doesn’t make a thought into a requirement, your mind is clear and your body relaxed.
It is important to notice that whenever the I-System captures a natural thought and makes it into a requirement, you become a victim of circumstances.
Using bridging awareness tools and thought labeling helps you prevent your I-System from turning events into destructive experiences.
Recognizing requirements is the most important tool you’ll learn. (i.e. What you think it Should Be, instead of accepting the reality of What Is).
Day 1: 03/23/21 (Tuesday)
Look for telltale signs of an overactive I-System: body tension, mind clutter and difficulty doing something. See if you can quiet your I-System by using bridging awareness practices and thought labeling, and returning your awareness to your activity.
What happened when your I-System was overactive?
a. Situation:
b. Body Tension:
c. Mind Clutter:
d. How You Acted:
How often was your I-System overactive today?
Describe what happened today when you rested your I-System using mind-body bridging tools (bridging awareness practices and thought labeling)?
a. Situation:
b. Body Tension:
c. Mind-Body Bridging Tools:
d. How You Acted:
When you quieted your I-System, was your mind clearer?
Do a “How the World Should Be” map, working quickly without editing your thoughts.
e.g. Everyone should drive safely. I shouldn’t make mistakes. There should be peace in the world. People should be considerate of one another, etc. etc.
Do you think everything on your map will happen?
Notice your body tension and location when you realized it might not happen.
The body tension you listed is a sign that the thought is a “requirement” and has activated your I-System.
Your I-System can capture your thoughts about how the world should be.
When you experience the reality that how you think things should be isn’t how things happen, your thoughts that trigger your I-System are requirements.
Now, use the bridging awareness practices you learned in Chapter 1 and do a “How the World Should Be” map again.
Before you start writing, listen to any background sounds, experience your body’s pressure on your seat, sense your feet on the floor, and feel the pen in your hand. Once you feel settled, keep feeling the pen in your hand and start writing about how the world should be. Watch the ink go onto the paper, and listen to any background sounds. For the next few minutes, jot whatever comes to mind about how the world should be.
What are the differences between this map and the map in the previous exercise?
Do you see that you can face the world as it is, without the pressure and distortion of your I-System that’s shown on the previous map you made?
When a situation comes up in your life, tune into your senses and you’ll no longer have an overactive I-System adding mind clutter and body tension. You can now face that situation with a ready and relaxed mind and body.
Day 2: 03/27/21 (Saturday):
Whenever you have body tension and mind clutter, it’s a sign that one of your I-System’s requirements is not being fulfilled.
This exercise is about increasing your awareness of your requirements, and then using bridging awareness practices and thought labeling to reduce your I-System’s activity.
Recognizing requirements is another mind-body bridging tool.
“I’m starting to realize that though anyone can kick my tires, my I-System is the only thing that can let the air out of them.”
Be on the lookout for your requirements throughout the day. Notice your earliest indicators of an overactive I-System. e.g. you may start to raise your shoulders, your toes curl, you feel overwhelmed, you feel a pain in your neck, you stop hearing the fan, or you slump in your chair, etc.
Once you notice a sign, see if you can find the “requirement” that activated your I-System.
When you identify your requirement, you have more control over what’s upsetting you.
Remember, it’s not the other person’s behavior that activates your I-System; it’s your own “requirements”.
List what requirements you observed today and what happened when you used bridging awareness practices and though labeling.
e.g. My neighbor opening his garage door to leave this morning at 5.30am woke me up. I wish he would just park outside on his driveway instead, since the garage door’s opening and closing sound is loud, and he’s leaving so early in the morning.
Thought labeling: “I am have the thought that” my neighbor is not being considerate and that him leaving so early is disturbing my sleep.
Label it as – “Just a thought”
Return to my senses, and noticing my senses.
When you use one or more of your senses, your I-System calms down.
Day 3: 04/04/21 (Sunday)
A trigger is an event or thought that violates a requirement that, in turn, activates your I-System.
Any event or thought is a trigger if, and only if, that event or thought violates a requirement.
Every coin has two sides, and even when flipped, it’s still the same coin. Triggers and requirements are the same way. When you become aware of a trigger, it’s important to realize that it points you to the requirement (the other side of the coin).
Remember, it’s not the event itself that activates the I-System; it’s your requirement about that event.
Observe what triggered your I-System, and list the behaviors or events and your body tension.
a. Trigger Behavior or Event: e.g. I did it wrong.
b. Body Tension and Location: e.g. Pressure in chest, foot tapping.
Your body tension is your signal that your I-System has been activated.
Next, note the thoughts and stories you weave about the trigger behavior or event.
Do a Triggers map by jotting down what triggered your I-System, such as how others behave or demands you make of yourself. e.g. I did it wrong.
From your Triggers map, write down your body tension, triggers and requirements.
Mind-body mapping is always about your I-System requirements, not someone else’s behavior.
Remember that the trigger points to your requirement.
a. Body Tension: e.g. Tight shoulders.
b. Trigger: e.g. He broke his promise.
c. Requirement: He shouldn’t break his promise.
How many requirements did you identify?
Day 4: 04/10/21 (Saturday)
Whenever it’s hard to find the underlying requirement, it’s helpful to do a “What’s on My Mind?” map. Take a couple of minutes to write whatever pops into your mind. Work quickly, without editing your thoughts.
a. Is your mind cluttered or clear?
b. Is your body tense or relaxed? Describe your body tension.
This is a momentary snapshot of what’s on your mind. Notice which thoughts are connected to body emotion. e.g. My life was ruined when I was sexually abused.
Recognize the requirement in the item. e.g. I should not have been sexually abused.
c. What are your requirements?
Do this map again, this time using bridging awareness practices. Before you start writing, listen to any background sounds, feel your body’s pressure on your seat, sense your feet on the floor, and feel in keyboard.
Once you feel settled, keep feeling the keyboard that you’re typing on, and start typing. For the next few minutes, jot down whatever thoughts that pop into your mind.
Observe the differences between the two maps.
Remember, thought labeling helps. e.g. If you have the thought “I ruined my life”, say to yourself, “I’m having the thought – I ruined my life”.
What’s ruining your life right here, right now, isn’t the sexual abuse, but the thoughts your I-System has spun about the sexual abuse.
You don’t have to fix your thoughts, push them away, or force any changes.
During the day, being aware that this thought is just a thought is all it takes; then you can return your awareness to the task at hand.
Mind-body bridging is an ongoing practice. When you use bridging awareness practices (use your senses) and thought labeling, you gain the ability to live every aspect of your life with a calm I-System (your true self).
The only question you need to answer is who is living your life; your I-System or your true self?
Day 5:
04/19/21 (Monday):
Be aware of your body tension throughout the day. Awareness of the early signs of body tension lets you know when you are heading in the wrong direction.
Use it like a compass. When you recognize that the I-System is on, and you use your mind-body bridging tools to quiet its commotion, it becomes a friend. You are befriending your I-System.
When your body is tense and your mind cluttered, your I-System is in the driver’s seat. To quiet your I-System, note that it’s your requirement, not the situation, that’s causing your distress.
Next, listen to any background sounds, sense whatever you’re touching, and fully return your awareness to what you were doing.
Your awareness is all it takes, because when your I-System is calm, your natural functioning lets you effectively navigate daily activities, and even any crisis.
Do a “Problem Map”, and write down any body tensions you may experience.
What does your map say about how you are approaching your problem?
a. Is your mind cluttered or clear?
b. Is your body tense or relaxed?
c. What are your requirements?
If your map has minimal signs of an overactive I-System, it may be that you have no requirements, but that’s quite unlikely at this early stage of your practice. What’s more likely happening is that your overactive I-System is closing you off, shutting down your normal body sensations.
The key to waking up your body and healing yourself is recognizing your requirement. You don’t have to force yourself to feel anything. Your natural functioning will let the process take place gently and powerfully.
Using the same problem, do another “Problem Map”, this time using your bridging awareness practices.
Listen to any background sounds, feel your body’s pressure on your seat, sense your feet on the floor, and feel your fingers typing on the keyboard. Watch the words go onto your computer screen.
Observe the differences between the two maps:
Are you clearer about your problem?
In this mind-body state, how would you approach your problem?
In this mind-body state, do you recognize your ability to heal yourself?
Day 6:
04/20/21 (Tues)
Throughout the day, observe how your day is going? How do you see the results of mind-body bridging in your daily life?
List any situations where mind-body bridging isn’t working. See if you can recognize the requirement responsible for your distress.
Do a “Problem Map”. Start by choosing the most stressful problem from the previous list.
Day 7:
05/31/21 (Mon)
It’s not my “problems”, but my “requirements” that are causing me distress.
Mind-body bridging has two parts: the first consists of your bridging awareness practices and thought labeling, and the second is befriending your I-System. You befriend your I-System by using tools like mapping, and recognizing and defusing your requirements.

Source(s): Mind-Body Workbook for PTSD. A 10-Week Program for Healing After Trauma. By Stanley H. Block, MD, & Carolyn Bryant Block

The Brainstem Always Wins – The Neuroscience of Flight or Flight – Dr. Titus Chiu

April 26, 2021March 13, 2021 by Helen

Experienced-dependent neuroplasticity
Just our thoughts can physically change our brain structure.
Neuro-endocrine response:
The hypothalamus ‘speaks’ the language of the nervous system
2 Key Players in the neurological stress response: brainstem and your prefrontal cortex.
It’s all about ‘Survival’.
Keyplayer 1 – Brainstem: all about survival, the reptilian brain, autonomous response, ‘win at all costs – especially to maintain basic life functions’
We have 2 autonomic systems:
Sympathetic – flight, fight or freeze
Parasympathetic – resting, digesting and healing
Dysautonomia (due to trauma, toxins, inflammation and stress, etc.) – may need to focus on the neurological response, instead of just the neuroendocrine response.
Key Player 2 – Prefrontal cortex – also all about survival.
It’s the ‘Dolphin’ brain – more enlightened, gives us these higher faculties, and higher cognitive functions (planning, judgement, foresight, vision, follow through – executive functions), and is at the seat of our Higher Selves. It also puts the brakes on our stress response.
Regardless of the experiences we’ve been through, we can always change through the miracle of neuroplasticity
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is also in charge in putting the brakes on our stress response
The medial frontal cortex is responsible for dampening our stress response, but also to specifically to habituate the stress response (stress habituation).
Overactive brain stem – startled by loud noise.
The prefrontal cortex is also about ‘Survival’, but it’s more about ‘Thriving’, by giving us the judgement, the discernment. It gives us choice as to how we respond.
The prefrontal cortex sits on the totem pole of the neurological response.
Discernment is one of the core components of the prefrontal cortex.
There are 3 types of stressors: Physical, Chemical and Emotional
Physical stressors: concussion, minor whiplash
Chemical stressors: processed foods, food sensitivities, toxins
Mental & Emotional stressors: trauma
Regardless whether it’s external or internal stressors; it all boils down to our Stress Response, and there in lies our freedom.
Train your prefrontal cortex to boost your Stress Resilience.
When your prefrontal cortex is in the ‘ON’, functional state: focused, motivated, on point, positive, connected, calm and collected – even in challenging times.
When it’s ‘OFF”, when you lose prefrontal regulation of these functions – stressed, irritable, distracted, unmotivated, negative, and overwhelmed.
Your amygdala is the ‘Danger’ sensor – you’ll find something to be scared of.
When under chronic stress, instead of turning ‘ON’ like the brainstem does; the prefrontal cortex shuts ‘OFF’.
Then you’re under this continuous vicious cycle.
Meditation, positivity, affirmations do help to heal from these stressors.
However, your prefrontal cortex is already fatigued, so the meditation, positive thinking, and affirmations may be too much for your prefrontal cortex in the beginning. It helps to provide a temporary lifeline when you in the moment.
To treat the root cause – start by stabilizing the physical axis of your nervous system – the foundational part
Brainstem – ancient structure, sturdy, autonomic functions, never stops
vs Prefrontal cortex – newest structure, sensitive, higher cognitive functions, needs rest
Your Brainstem always win under chronic stressful situations (physical, chemical and emotional).
We all have Negativity Bias – which helped us to survive. Don’t beat yourself up.
Adaptation is the key to healing.
Make friends with your brainstem, especially your lower brainstem (i.e. the medulla oblongata), which houses your Vagus nerve.
Medulla oblongata + Vagus nerve = TAMING your stress response
The medulla oblongata can turn down the stress response of your brainstem. The mid-part of your brainstem – the mes-encephalon that’s in charge of your flight or fight response (RAS – reticular activating system). The medulla puts the brakes on the flight or fight response of your mid-brain. Start at the foundation first. It’s all about taming your brainstem.
As soon as you wake up, think of 3 things you’re grateful for.
6 Ways to Tame Your Brainstem (40:46):
1. 1:2 Breath Work – Our mesencephalon processes lights and sounds. You can be really sensitive to light, and/or sound if your mesencephalon is really overactive. A lot of concussion patients experience this.
If you have excess CO2, your midbrain will go further into high alert.
Take in a breath for 5 seconds, breath out for 10 seconds. Breathe in and out through your nose as that triggers the parasympathetic nervous response. You’re breathing out excess CO2.
2. Palming: developed my Tibetan yogis
put the fleshing part of your palms over your eyelids – oculo-cardiac response – a reflex between your Trigeminal nerve and your Vagus nerve. When you do that, you trigger a parasympathetic response. Do that constantly. It adds up when you do it over time. We’re healing your brain and nervous system from the ground up.
put your hand over your forehead (to calm down a different emotional response).
3. Belly Massage:
When you just visualize your hands warming up, you’re actually calming your stress response.
Warm up your hands and gently put in on your belly and be aware of the sensation of warmth. If you notice certain areas in your belly that has tension, then just gently push in. If you need to go to the bathroom, then do that first.
This activates the stretch receptors located all over your abdomen and digestive system. This connects via the Vagus nerve, to your brainstem.
4. Heart Rate Variability: train your HRV (heart rate variability) – an objective biomarker for your stress response, and the integrity of your Vagus nerve.
Heartmath and Mind-Body Coherence. – https://www.heartmath.com/training/
https://store.heartmath.com/emwave2/
It’s a neurofeedback process – instant feedback.
5. Low Level Laser – activates your mitochondria, neurological pathways, and decrease inflammation.
Activates your Vagus nerve and tames your brainstem.
e.g. get a red laser pointer, and shine it on your ear. Take your hand and cover your ear to help the disperse the photons better.
6. Electroceuticals:
They increase the signaling into your nervous system.
e.g. bone conducting headphones to activate the Trigeminal nerve.
Using electricity as medicine.
More ways to tame your brainstem: gargling, cold showers and cold exposures, probiotics. Be aware of your senses – sensory-based ways to activate your brainstem, nutrients, lifestyle changes.
GO OUT AND PLAY – do some palming, and belly massage, while you’re at it!
‘Turn down the fire’
Start with the foundation of your neurostructure – your brainstem, because your brainstem always wins!

Source(s):

https://www.rebelhealthtribe.com – Brain and Neuroscience Masterclass

https://www.brainsave.com

Trauma Episode 2 – Emotional Trauma Part 1

March 3, 2021 by Helen

25:04

46:00

1:03:00

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