Mind-Body Workbook for PTSD (25 page)

Body Tension:

______________________________

______________________________

1. Bubble your map by drawing a circle (bubble) around the thought that brings the most body tension. Take a few minutes to scatter more thoughts around the circled item. Bubble any other troubling items.
   
2. List your requirements:
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

3. How do you act in this situation?
   

   ______________________________
   

3. Do the Trigger map again, writing the same trigger at the top of the map and the same requirement in the oval. 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 are 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.

Trigger Requirement Map with Bridging

My trigger is

______________________________

1. Compare this map with the previous one. What do you notice?
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

2. On this map, the trigger is the same, but your mind-body state has changed. How will you handle the trigger when it comes up again?
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

   It’s now clear that your unmet requirement, rather than the event, is what causes your distress. Your ability to find and defuse your requirements is vital for you to heal from your PTSD.
   

Day Three     Date:____________

1. Keep tuning in to your senses and finding your hidden requirements whenever a current event triggers your I-System. How did it go?

______________________________

______________________________

2. Log any troubling behaviors or symptoms that come up during your day related to your trauma experiences; for example, avoiding people or situations; going numb; abusing alcohol or drugs; being easily angered; feeling restless or depressed; being unable to concentrate; or having relationship issues, or work or school problems. What are the current triggering events? Also note your requirement and the traumatic event.

3. Do a map for a requirement from the previous chart that you’ve had trouble defusing. Write the triggering event at the top of the map and the requirement in the oval. Around the oval, scatter any thoughts that come up when you think about that requirement going unmet. Write for three to five minutes without editing your thoughts. Describe your body tension at the bottom of the map.

Requirement Map

My trigger is

______________________________

Body Tension:

______________________________

______________________________

1. List other requirements you find:
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

   Finding the requirement (
   Helicopters shouldn’t fly over my house) hidden beneath the trigger (helicopter sounds) may not quiet your I-System at first, but if you keep it up, bubble mapping will show you hidden requirements like The medevac helicopter should have arrived before Tom died. Getting clear about your requirements through mapping helps you defuse the current trigger in real time.
   

2. Bubble the item that brings the most body tension. Continue to bubble any other troubling requirements.
   
3. What other requirements did you find?
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

4. Do this map again, writing the same event at the top of the map and the same requirement in the oval. 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 are 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.

Requirement Map with Bridging

My trigger is

______________________________

1. How is this map different from the previous one?
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

2. How do you act in this state?
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

3. Go back and look at your requirement chart from the start of today’s assignments. On a separate sheet of paper, map any requirements you still haven’t been able to defuse. Use all the mind-body bridging mapping tools you have learned.
   

Day Four     Date:____________

1. Often, our distressing experiences relate to fearful thoughts. Throughout the day, notice what events make you fearful. Find the hidden requirement for each.

2. List your three greatest fears about your life. Find and list the hidden requirements for each:

1. _____________________________
   

   _____________________________
   

2. _____________________________
   

   _____________________________
   

3. _____________________________
   

   _____________________________
   

3. Do a Fear map, writing your greatest fear in the oval. Scatter your thoughts around the oval for three to five minutes, without editing them. Write about your body tension at the bottom of the map.

Fear Map

Body Tension:

______________________________

______________________________

1. Bubble your map by drawing a circle (bubble) around the thought that brings the most body tension. Take a few minutes to scatter more thoughts around the circled item. Bubble any other troubling items.
   
2. List your storylines:
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

3. List your requirements:
   

   ______________________________
   

   ______________________________
   

   Fear is an emotion from natural functioning that signals you about possible danger. When the I-System captures your fears, it convinces you that you can’t cope, which paralyzes you, making you a victim of your fear. Fighting the fear never works. It is helpful to consider the fear as having two parts: a thought and a body sensation.
   

4. Do this map again, writing the same fear in the oval. 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 are 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.

Fear Map with bridging