Comments on: Loosen the Grip of PTSD’s Anchor on Your Life http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/loosen-the-grip-of-ptsd/ Exploring Healthy Psychotherapy Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:37:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Jason http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/loosen-the-grip-of-ptsd/comment-page-1/#comment-26337 Jason Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:58:20 +0000 http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/?p=5442#comment-26337 Thank you John for sharing your incredible story. Thank you John for sharing your incredible story.

]]> By: John Lee LMHC http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/loosen-the-grip-of-ptsd/comment-page-1/#comment-24440 John Lee LMHC Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:36:30 +0000 http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/?p=5442#comment-24440 Peter you are right on the money! PTSD is a reactive disorder. Using core mondfullness actually trains the brain to be responsive rather than reactive. Peter you are right on the money! PTSD is a reactive disorder. Using core mondfullness actually trains the brain to be responsive rather than reactive.

]]> By: Peter Strong, PhD http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/loosen-the-grip-of-ptsd/comment-page-1/#comment-24362 Peter Strong, PhD Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:33:46 +0000 http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/?p=5442#comment-24362 Great article. I would like to pick up on the application of mindfulness and mindfulness meditation. These can be very helpful for managing the recurrent habitual reactivity that accompanies PTSD and panic disorder. The particular form of mindfulness practice that can be practiced throughout the day is called Sensory Awareness. The idea here is to train yourself to notice every sense impression that comes through the sense doors - sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and bodily sensations, and really take a moment to acknowledge and fully experience each - mindfully. In this way, you begin to train the mind to be responsive, rather than reactive. You respond to each sensation by choosing to be fully present with it; to observe it; to know it directly. In this process of responsiveness, you begin to shift your primary identity away from being reactive, to being the knowing of sense experience. This primary shift is immensely liberating and lays the foundations for helping you work with mental reactions - the emotions, beliefs and negative thoughts that spontaneously arise out of our conditioning and that proliferate anxiety. You learn to relate and respond to mental reactions in the same way that you respond to physical sensations - both are simply observed as objects that arise and pass away by themselves. The skill is in recognizing sense objects or mental objects as fast as possible and then responding by being mindful and opening a non-reactive space around the object experienced. Peter Strong, PhD is a specialist in Mindfulness Psychotherapy for anxiety and PTSD. Great article.
I would like to pick up on the application of mindfulness and mindfulness meditation. These can be very helpful for managing the recurrent habitual reactivity that accompanies PTSD and panic disorder.
The particular form of mindfulness practice that can be practiced throughout the day is called Sensory Awareness. The idea here is to train yourself to notice every sense impression that comes through the sense doors – sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and bodily sensations, and really take a moment to acknowledge and fully experience each – mindfully. In this way, you begin to train the mind to be responsive, rather than reactive. You respond to each sensation by choosing to be fully present with it; to observe it; to know it directly. In this process of responsiveness, you begin to shift your primary identity away from being reactive, to being the knowing of sense experience.
This primary shift is immensely liberating and lays the foundations for helping you work with mental reactions – the emotions, beliefs and negative thoughts that spontaneously arise out of our conditioning and that proliferate anxiety. You learn to relate and respond to mental reactions in the same way that you respond to physical sensations – both are simply observed as objects that arise and pass away by themselves. The skill is in recognizing sense objects or mental objects as fast as possible and then responding by being mindful and opening a non-reactive space around the object experienced.

Peter Strong, PhD is a specialist in Mindfulness Psychotherapy for anxiety and PTSD.

]]> By: John Lee LMHC http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/loosen-the-grip-of-ptsd/comment-page-1/#comment-24160 John Lee LMHC Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:23:57 +0000 http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/?p=5442#comment-24160 The purpose of my story was to do exactly what was expressed in the above comments. Keeping that stuff a deep secret was like a cancerous growth that wsa becomming larger every day. I am 60 and want to send a message that it is ok to treat the scars and the wound that fuels Post traumatic stress syndrone! A friend of mine who I grew up with once said "It isn't the book learnin that will help, it is what you have beeen through that will help the most". And! I agree that when I appropraitely disclose a part of me to a client the therapeutic relationship intensifies. Then the healing can begin! Thank you for your comments. I really think this is a story that needs to be shared! The purpose of my story was to do exactly what was expressed in the above comments. Keeping that stuff a deep secret was like a cancerous growth that wsa becomming larger every day. I am 60 and want to send a message that it is ok to treat the scars and the wound that fuels Post traumatic stress syndrone! A friend of mine who I grew up with once said “It isn’t the book learnin that will help, it is what you have beeen through that will help the most”. And! I agree that when I appropraitely disclose a part of me to a client the therapeutic relationship intensifies. Then the healing can begin!

Thank you for your comments. I really think this is a story that needs to be shared!

]]> By: Gabriel http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/loosen-the-grip-of-ptsd/comment-page-1/#comment-24114 Gabriel Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:14:44 +0000 http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/?p=5442#comment-24114 I must say, you have a lot of courage to have come out of the closet with all your experiences and problems and face the world. Not many people have such courage to come out with truth. Your story should and will surely inspire others with problems to come out of the closet too. I must say, you have a lot of courage to have come out of the closet with all your experiences and problems and face the world. Not many people have such courage to come out with truth. Your story should and will surely inspire others with problems to come out of the closet too.

]]> By: Samuel http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/loosen-the-grip-of-ptsd/comment-page-1/#comment-24072 Samuel Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:39:49 +0000 http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/?p=5442#comment-24072 Your strength and honesty is very impressive, John. You overcame so much! Your patients are extremely lucky to have your unique perspective. This is a gift you've shared by opening yourself up like this. Thank you so much for having the courage to do so and enriching us with your story. Your strength and honesty is very impressive, John. You overcame so much! Your patients are extremely lucky to have your unique perspective. This is a gift you’ve shared by opening yourself up like this. Thank you so much for having the courage to do so and enriching us with your story.

]]> By: Sugarlove http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/loosen-the-grip-of-ptsd/comment-page-1/#comment-24071 Sugarlove Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:29:46 +0000 http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/?p=5442#comment-24071 John, I feel humbled that you would share your story with us. You're an inspiration to us all. Thank you for shining your light. I just know it will give hope to many. John, I feel humbled that you would share your story with us. You’re an inspiration to us all. Thank you for shining your light. I just know it will give hope to many.

]]>