Mind-Body Workbook for PTSD by Stanley Block Read Free Book Online Page A

bathroom, and if I start to weave a storyline, I just become aware of it while listening to the fan’s humming, feeling the pressure on my right foot, and sensing my body’s movement. By the time I get to the bathroom, I’m no longer filled with tension and resentment. I don’t even need to tell myself positive stories about how I’m a survivor. What I found for myself, by myself, was that it wasn’t my war trauma that disabled me in the morning; it was my storylines. My depressor used to make me feel damaged by filling my mind and body with negatives. Now even though I still have only one leg, I’m no longer damaged!”
    Another powerful tool is 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?
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    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 aren’t 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. We have received hundreds of comments from patients who did this practice, such as, “I procrastinate less,” “The clock’s moving slower,” and “I’m getting more done; I now have time for myself.”
    What do you notice?
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    Day Two     Date:____________
1. 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.
     
How do you recognize when your depressor is overactive? Example: “Heavy body, tight feeling in stomach, thoughts that I’m no good”
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What’s your behavior like? Example: “Become irritable, want to get away from people, eat too much”
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How does it interfere with your natural functioning? Example: “Don’t make good decisions, am a lousy parent”
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Do you experience yourself as damaged? Yes _____ No ____ If yes, how so?
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What were today’s storylines? Example: “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…”
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In what ways are these thoughts and storylines creating who you are?
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What are your requirements? Example: “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 ou” t.
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2. 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 bottom of the map.

    Body Tension:
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    Did you have thoughts like I’m a loser ? Remember, labeling your thought lets you see that a thought is just a thought, which keeps you from identifying with the content of that thought. Instead of thinking, I’m a loser , say to yourself , I’m having the thought “I’m a loser.” Can you see that the problem is not the content of your