Mind-Body Workbook for PTSD (21 page)

2. Do a Trauma map by writing your most troubling memory of your traumatic event in the oval. Around the oval, scatter your thoughts about the event, writing for three to five minutes. Describe your body tension at the bottom of the map. See the two sample maps on page 150.

Trauma Map

Body Tension:

______________________________

______________________________

1. Bubble
   your map by drawing a circle (bubble) around a thought that brings a lot of body tension. Take a few minutes to scatter your thoughts around the circled thought. Now bubble a second troubling thought.
   
2. List below your requirements for the thoughts that are around each bubble. (For example, in sample map B, the thought
   People shouldn’t stare at me
   is both a thought and a requirement, and the thought
   I hate to go out in public
   has the hidden requirement
   I shouldn’t go out in public
   ).
   

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

Sample Map A: Trauma Bubble

Sample Map B: Trauma Bubble

3. Take one of the bubble items from your Trauma mapand write it in the following oval (for example,
The way they look at me
). 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. Watch the ink go onto the paper and listen to background sounds. For the next few minutes, jot any thoughts that come to mind.

First Bubble Trauma Map with Bridging

Compare the body tension on this map with that on your earlier trauma map:

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

This mapping experience shows you your ability to heal yourself.

4. Take the other bubble item from your Trauma mapand write it in the oval (for example,
Why didn’t I act faster?
). Before you continue writing, listen to background sounds and feel your body’s pressure on your seat, your feet on the floor, and the pen in your hand. Once you’re settled, keep feeling the pen in your hand and start writing. Watch the ink go onto the paper and listen to background sounds. For the next few minutes, jot any thoughts that come to mind.

Second Bubble Trauma Map with Bridging

Compare the body tension on this map with that on your earlier Trauma map:

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

5. Now do today’s first Trauma map exercise again. In the oval below, write the same traumatic event you mapped the first time. Before you start writing, listen to background sounds and feel your body’s pressure on your seat, your feet on the floor, and the pen in your hand. Once you’re settled, keep feeling the pen in your hand as you start writing. Watch the ink go onto the paper and listen to background sounds. For the next few minutes, jot any thoughts that come to mind.

Trauma Map with Bridging

Compare this map to your first trauma map. What do you notice?

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

On your first trauma map, through the lens of your I-System, you experienced your trauma memories. On this bridging map you experienced your trauma memories again, but with a quiet I-System and through the lens of your true self. Mind-body bridging lets you see the truth about your traumatic event without your overactive I-System’s distortions.

6. Go over the first Trauma map from today’s exercise, and note items that bring body tension. Recognize the underlying requirement.

7. Do you see that the way you experience your trauma memories again and again depends solely on the I-System’s overactivity, which uses thoughts and memories of your traumatic event to keep itself going? Yes ____ No ____

As you know, only requirements can activate your I-System. Resolving trauma memories and healing yourself happen when you identify and defuse requirements related to both your current situation (for example,
There shouldn’t be sudden movements
) and your past traumatic event (for example,
I shouldn’t have worn that dress
).

8. Describe how you are going to defuse the previous requirements in real time:

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

Day Two     Date:____________

During the day, be aware of when you are experiencing your trauma memories, and reduce your mind-body distress by quieting your I-System (using bridging awareness practices and thought labeling, and recognizing and defusing requirements).

1. What happened?

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

2. Who is experiencing your trauma memories, the true self or the damaged self? What did you observe?

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

Your true self (who you are with a quiet I-System) has so much space (review figure 1.1) that any memory you have won’t interfere with your life.

3. Do a Trauma map about a traumatic memory that keeps coming back again and again. Write the memory of the traumatic event in the oval. Around the oval, scatter your thoughts about that event for three to four minutes. Then note your body tension at the bottom of the map.

Trauma Map

Body Tension:

______________________________

______________________________

4. Bubble your map by drawing a circle (bubble) around the thought that brings excess body tension. Take a few minutes to scatter your thoughts around the circled item. Bubble any other troubling items.