NERVOUS SYSTEM REGULATION
What is the point of using grounding skills or nervous system regulation techniques?
To focus on something that makes you feel present, more calm, and connected... moving AWAY from distressing trauma symptoms.
Tyrone feels like he's on the verge of losing it. He barely remembers, but he thinks he learned something about using COLD to calm down. Help him out with a technique that involves something COLD.
-gripping ice in hand(s)
-chewing on ice
-taking a cold shower
-splashing or submerging the face in cold water
-applying a cold pack to the back of the neck
-drinking cold water
TRUE or FALSE: You can take a therapeutic dose of a drug like psilocybin or MDMA on your own, and achieve good results with processing your trauma.
FALSE - it is very important to be working with a therapist who is trained in the effects of these drugs and trained in trauma processing.
This is an 8-phase program that uses an external stimulus to initiate bilateral stimulation in careful balance with the processing of a traumatic experience... connecting the left and right brains and keeping one foot in the present.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
True or false: Both stress and trauma can shrink your "window of tolerance" and make it easier to throw your nervous system off balance.
TRUE
Is it more important to know what your triggers are, or to know that you have been triggered?
Identifying your triggers can be extremely helpful but recognizing that you are triggered is often more important. If you know that you are triggered, you can support yourself by using grounding techniques and strengthening new connections in your brain that enable it to feel safe.
A song just started playing on the radio that has Mark's face getting hot, his stomach hurting, and his heart racing. He knows he is triggered, and pulls to the side of the road to do some breathing. Describe TWO breathing techniques that Mark could practice.
Pursed lip breathing, 4-7-8 breathing, breath counting, "finger" breathing, box breathing, belly breathing, "voo" breaths, and more!
Simply focusing on taking long, slow, deep breaths is good too!
CPT helps people identify, address, and challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts, feelings, and behaviors following trauma. It also helps people evaluate and understand the beliefs that motivate their feelings and behaviors. What does CPT stand for?
Cognitive Processing Therapy
Explain WHAT a glimmer is, HOW you can find one, and give ONE EXAMPLE of a possible glimmer.
A glimmer is the opposite of a trigger - it is a micro-moment of joy that helps calm the nervous system.
How to find one:
1. Set an intention to seek them out in your day.
2. Practice mindfulness - glimmers live in the present moment so take time to ground yourself.
3. Let the glimmers land - try to pause and take them in, use your senses to explore
4. Start a glimmer journal - log glimmers you encountered and how they made you feel
Juan decides to recite something in order to ground himself. What are two ideas for something he could recite?
The alphabet, multiples of "3", objects in alphabetical order, a poem, song lyrics, a detailed step-by-step description of how to do an everyday activity (brushing your teeth, making coffee, etc.)
Name two grounding skills that involve your MOUTH.
Drinking cold water, eating something crunchy, eating something sour, gargling water, chewing on ice.
Leah just got into a minor argument with her partner, but suddenly she's feeling a strong urge to run away. What phrases or words could she repeat to herself to feel more safe and less scared?
"This is just a 'feelings' flashback. Nothing bad is happening to me."
"I am not in danger. I am simply triggered."
"This is just my 'old' brain at work. I am okay."
"I'm safe, right here, right now."
Why would practicing Mindfulness (including things like Yoga and gratitude/Glimmers) be beneficial to a trauma survivor? Give at least TWO reasons.
Enhances present-moment awareness
Increases self-compassion
Increases our ability to self-regulate emotions, thoughts, and behavior.
Reconnects us to our bodies and our control/self agency
Increases prefontal cortex activity and decreases amygdala grey matter and reactivity.
Name two reasons THEATER (including Improv) supports trauma recovery.
Practice embodying different emotions, Feeling more comfortable and confident in your body by playing different roles, contributing and collaborating with others increases self worth, Effectively navigating situations where you may feel vulnerable or even scared, etc.
Trauma survivors often deal with grief. The five stages of grief model, originally proposed by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, has been largely debunked by scholars and professionals. Critics argue that this model is overly simplistic and does not accurately reflect the complexity of the grieving process... can you explain this a bit more?
Overall, the understanding of grief has evolved, recognizing that it is a personal and unique journey for each individual. It doesn't progress in a linear-fashion from stage to stage. Emotional experiences and physical symptoms can vary greatly in intensity, type, length, etc.
Name THREE grounding techniques that focus on moving your body.
-Exercises like pushups or jumping jacks
-Pacing/brisk walking
-Crawling on all fours
-Jumping up and down
-Shaking it out/off
-Yoga poses like Starfish or Feet up the Wall
-Chair Squeeze
-Butterfly Hug or Gorilla Taps
-Stomping your feet
Marcus starts to become dysregulated after learning that his mother is coming to town. He has learned the grounding technique of picturing a safe place, and his safe place is his grandfather's barn, which he used to play in as a child. If you were inside of Tyler's head while he was exploring this safe place, what might his description sound like?
Describe safe places in detail, using all of the senses.
Example: I can see sunlight seeping in between the barn boards and the small green tractor that's covered in dirt and parked in the corner. I can feel the sturdy floor and the roughness of the wood. I can smell hay and cow manure.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) teaches mindfulness skills to help individuals live and behave in ways consistent with personal values while developing psychological flexibility. Please briefly describe THREE of the 6 core processes of ACT.
Acceptance (of difficult thoughts & feelings)
Being Present/Mindfulness (focus on the here and now)
Cognitive Defusion (create space from thoughts & feelings)
Self as Context (notice your thoughts/feelings but don't get caught up in them)
Values Clarification (what matters to you?)
Committed Action (pursue things that are important to you. Take mental/physical action aligned with your values)
Name three different ways you could incorporate mindfulness into your life.
Grounding techniques
Meditation
Body Scans
Present-Moment awareness focused on a specific activity (music, art, nature, showering, eating, etc.)
Engaging as many senses as possible to ground you in your surroundings or an activity
Yoga, Tai Chi, etc.
Exploring emotions in the body (RAIN technique)
Practicing mindfulness with your thoughts by creating space, and noticing your thoughts without judgment
If you are HYPERaroused, you may be likely to engage in certain behaviors like over-eating, impulsivity, or difficulty staying still. Name TWO OTHER BEHAVIORS that might result from the nervous system being HYPERaroused (in fight or flight mode).
substance use, emotional outbursts, physical or verbal aggression, being overly-suspicious of others and surroundings, rigidness, and running away
What are THREE general things you can do to widen or stay in your "window of tolerance"?
Have enough food, water, and sleep.
ANY of the grounding/regulation techniques we practiced.
Yoga or Tai Chi.
Work/Life balance.
Engage in stress decreasing activities that you enjoy (listening to music, writing, art, etc.).
Exercise.
Social connection.
Mindfulness.
Anna was under a lot of stress with finances, a divorce, and the death of her brother. She was getting irritated with everything and wasn't doing her typical activities of enjoyment. Soon, her nervous system became HYPOaroused and she entered a "freeze" state that lasted several days. Name TWO SYMPTOMS she might experience in this state, and TWO TECHNIQUES she might try to get "unfrozen."
Possible sxs: feeling disconnected, numbness, "spaciness", memory loss, low energy levels, shame/embarrassment, decreased reactions, slow or disabled cognitive processing, reduced physical movement overall, difficulty saying "no" or defending oneself, operating on auto-pilot
Possible techniques: Activating the senses (flavorful foods, essential oils, hot shower, etc.) and Physical movement are often helpful, but breathing and other techniques may help too - depends on the person!
Benjamin had a pretty rough child and has developed an inner child "Trust Wound." He constantly feels insecure and needs people to tell him that he's doing well and making good decisions. Yes, he has a really hard time trusting other people and usually finds ways to not trust them. Please give FOUR ideas for how Benjamin can begin to heal his inner child.
1. Acknowledge your inner child and Identify specific experiences that caused his/her wounds.
2. Connect and Listen to your inner child and Show Empathy for his/her experiences.
3. Express Emotions associated with your trauma, including anger, sadness, or fear.
4. Practice Self-Compassion: Treat your inner child with kindness, as you would with any real child.
5. Set Boundaries with Others to prevent repeating of harmful patterns.
6. Challenge Negative Beliefs that your inner child may hold.
7. Engage in Therapeutic Activities
8. Use Symbolic Rituals such as writing letters to your inner child, creating a safe space for them, or looking at old photos that evoke childhood memories.
Different types of biofeedback therapies measure different body functions - but what the heck is the point?!
To learn strategies to self-regulate otherwise automatic physiological functions, resulting in connection and harmony between the body and the mind and achieving a more coherent emotional state.
How many handouts did Maggie give us this cycle?
8 - but i don't know FOR SURE for sure, so you can be off by 2. Or tell me my handouts are the most beautiful in the world, and be off by 3.