Free Mind-Body Workbook for PTSD by Stanley Block Page A

one?
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Can you experience your naturally functioning true self? Yes ____ No ____
    With a quiet I-System, your true self functions naturally. In this unified, harmonious mind-body state, you access your power of healing, goodness, and wisdom to take care of yourself and your responsibilities.
    Day Five     Date:____________
    Larry’s drinking was his attempt to fix his PTSD-ridden life. Throughout his day, he wove stories about why he craved alcohol. These storylines included his wife ( She talked to her sister all day and didn’t clean the house and cook my supper… . ) and even everyday driving ( I can’t believe there are son many red lights. They don’t know what they are doing… . ). He also had stories about how he and his military unit were so close, how he could always depend on them, and how they were the only ones who understood him and what he was going through. The depressor and fixer’s vicious cycle kept him living his life through his stories.
1. During the day, notice your storylines, driven by your depressor and fixer. Storylines draw heavily from past difficulties and future fears or wishes. Whether positive or negative, they keep you from being in the present. The way the depressor and fixer work together always creates a strong need and pressure to keep the story going. When you notice your I-System’s storylines, your awareness shifts back to the task at hand. During an activity, can you shift from your I-System’s storyline to natural functioning?
     
Write the storylines you observed today, and notice any pressure from your depressor and fixer that kept the story going:
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What were your impulsive behaviors (drinking, overeating, anger, driving too fast, and so on) and the storylines you attached to them?
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When you became aware of your fixer, how were you able to befriend it and shift from your I-System’s storyline to natural functioning?
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2. We all have something we want to do that, despite our intentions, we haven’t done. In the oval, write the thing you find most difficult to do. Jot whatever comes to mind when you think about doing it. Write for three to four minutes. Describe your body tension at the bottom of the map.

My Most Difficult To-Do

    Body Tension:
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Note the signs of your overactive I-System.
Do you see how your I-System is interfering with your life? Yes ____ No ____
3. Do the same map again, writing the same to-do in the next oval. Before you start writing, listen to background sounds, feel your body’s pressure on your seat, sense your feet on the floor, and feel the pen in your hand. Once you’re settled, keep feeling the pen in your hand, and start writing whatever comes to mind. Watch the ink go onto the paper, and listen to background sounds. Write for three to four minutes.

My Most Difficult To-Do with bridging

     
How is this map the same as or different from the previous one?
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Does your naturally functioning true self let you follow through with any needed action? Yes ____ No ____
    Day Six     Date:____________
    Ted was irritable most of the time. Even the little things set him off. Prone to road rage, he often had to restrain himself from hurting others. For example, whenever someone drove too slowly, his neck bulged, face reddened, and head throbbed. Ted thought, A guy driving twenty-five miles per hour in a forty-five-mile-per-hour zone should be shot! He shared that he started using bridging awareness practices and