…are so divided. Many years ago, my father, psychologist and author Robert Firestone, developed the “Division of the Mind,” to help explain how each of us is split between our “real self” and our “anti-self.” The temperament we came into the world with impacts both sides of this divide, but our earliest experience and the adaptations we made to them contribute a great deal to the nature and degree of this division in our personality. On one side,…
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…he brain, which were detectable after people participated in an 8-week mindfulness training program. Theoretically, this would mean that meditation could improve cognitive faculties like learning, memory, and emotion regulation. It could even affect the amygdala, which processes fear, stress, and anxiety. Conclusion As the studies mentioned herein illustrate, meditation can improve mental health in many ways. No matter what additional trials and s…
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…ting physical limits feel difficult. A hug that lasts too long can trigger fear or panic. Someone who stands too closes or intrudes when you’re talking can be very upsetting for a trauma survivor. Safe physical boundaries are essential in trauma treatment and recovery. What can you do to feel more secure? Take the time you need to decide what would make you feel safer. For example: Say what you need: “Could you excuse us for a minute? I will come…
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…ble and chaotic to hold with curious awareness. Feeling alone with intense fear and anxiety triggers the urgent need to protect one’s self. Instead, a person seeks to escape overwhelming feelings, because there’s no way to explore them safely. Trauma survivors learn to adapt. They develop responses that may seem like self-care, but are actually coping mechanisms – the best self-care that can be done at that time. Coping often includes hiding your…
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…n increase in the suicide rate. In addition to economic strain, scientists fear that environmental factors will generate an uptick in suicides, as a recent Stanford study discovered a link between increased temperatures and higher suicide rates. Concerns like these are starting to spread, as we become more aware of how certain traumatic events may trigger suicide risk. One such occurrence took place in March of this year when three different peopl…
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…have experienced in response to frustration or stress is transformed into fear and distrust of others and into feelings of being hurt or wounded. People who become mired down in feeling victimized tend to view events in their lives as happening to them and feel ineffective and overwhelmed. They also operate on the basic assumption that the world should be fair, which is a child’s way of thinking. They tend to project the circumstances of their ea…
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…re of her decision. Based on her history, her value, her expectations, she fears whether she can have the autonomy she has known as a freelancer. She wonders if she can meet the company’s expectations. She feels a myriad of emotions that seem to be blocking her ability to decide in what direction to go. R1: Remember Jane notices what is going on right now in her body and mind and labels the most immediate emotion, in this case, fear. To label an e…
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…new behavior that involves taking emotional risks and gradually overcoming fears related to pursuing their wants and priorities. During this step in Voice Therapy, clients formulate the values that give their lives special meaning. Then, with the therapist’s help, they plan methods and means of pursuing these goals. And lastly, as they cope with the necessary risks inherent in self-actualization, they attain a new level of vulnerability and learn…
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…o the point where I was scared to be in a group setting with my friend for fear that she would bring up something embarrassing from the past, which became pretty normal. A healthy friendship consists of two people who build each other’s confidence by speaking of their amazing attributes, rather than breaking one another down by public humiliation. Judgment, blame, and a lack of trust are three of the most prominent characteristics of an unhealthy…
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…otect itself against, that safety is an illusion. In this seeing lies true fearlessness. For as we may find when faced with a physical danger, sometimes the safest place to be is as close as possible to what we fear.” About the Author Meredith Watkins, M.A. is a CA licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with years of experience working with women, teenagers, couples and families. She has worked in many settings, including an outpatient psychiatric…
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