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 trauma processing, guiding you with deep feelings and memories. They can also help you if the psychedelic experience start to go downhill.
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
Self-compassion is regulating because you give yourself the same care and support that you would give to or receive from a good friend.
It involves mindfulness, self-kindness, and common humanity. What does the "common humanity" part involve?
Common humanity involves remembering you're not alone, that all humans struggle, and that no one is perfect.
Example: "Everyone is late for work sometimes, it's not just me."
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 getting dysregulated/activated, 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!
Therapeutic Journaling (specifically "The Expressive Writing Method") is where you write about traumatic events for 15-20 minutes a day... How many days in a row should you try to do this?
4!
What's one way that Yoga helps to heal trauma?
1. increases self-compassion and moves away from self-judgment
2. feeling "centered" and grounded
3. breathing exercises and postures learned in yoga can be used in daily life with stress and trauma triggers
4. better mind-body relationship
5. safe space to bond with others
6. present moment awareness
7. stimulates vagus nerve
What is interoception?
Interoception is the ability to notice and understand the signals/sensations INSIDE of your body. The signals can be related to emotions, hunger, thirst, needing to use the restroom, pain, dysregulation states, etc. The signals (temperature, heartrate, breathing, tingling, swirling, etc.) help you know what your body needs.
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.
Theater supports: Psychological Safety and Regulation, Sense of Agency and Empowerment, Narrative Processing, Identity Reconstruction, Social Connection, Trust, Neuroplasticity, and Emotional Flexibility.
How can you have good "nervous system hygiene" or increase the effectiveness of grounding/regulation techniques? NAME THREE WAYS.
-Practice often. Work it into your daily routine.
-Practice when you are feeling safe and regulated and in your window of tolerance.
-practice faster - when you're getting out of your window, employ a technique ASAP.
-Practice longer. For example start with 3 minutes of breathing each day, and increase it to 10 minutes after a month or so!
-Notice which techniques work best for you. Ade them to your toolbox.
-Create your own techniques or change up/personalize ones that you've learned
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.
What is EFT Tapping?
Emotional Freedom Techniques or Tapping is a body/mind self-help method where you focus attention on uncomfortable thoughts/feelings while tapping acupressure points with your fingertips.
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 or difficulty staying still. Name TWO OTHER BEHAVIORS that might result from the nervous system being HYPERaroused (in fight or flight mode).
impulsive behavior, 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 rough childhood and 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. Yet, he has a hard time trusting others and usually finds ways to not trust them. Please give TWO ideas for how he can start to heal his inner child.
Benjamin could:
-imagine his adult self sitting with his younger self and ask the child what they need or what would help them feel safe
-writing a letter to his younger self, using words of understanding, protection, and care
-with strong emotions, ask "If a child were feeling this way, how would I respond?:
-doing something his younger self loved or never got the chance to do
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.
Exposure to nature reduces activity in the "smoke alarm" of the brain. What is this part of the brain called?
The amygdala!