2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43
I want to devote my article to the topic of self-help when dealing with the consequences of traumatic events. I really want to support people who are experiencing strong emotional turmoil. A lot of materials are devoted to the topic of psychotrauma, about their consequences and how they can be caused. In my practice, I have come across the fact that people who have experienced severe mental shocks can experience deep internal conflicts, feelings of unhappiness, anxiety and panic attacks.
The process of working through traumatic experiences begins with accepting yourself and your destructive tendencies, with restoring trust in the world and a sense of the security of life in it. It is important to take care of yourself by listening to your true desires and needs.
In such cases, the techniques and methods of art therapy and bodynamics (a direction of body-oriented psychotherapy) work best. (although representatives of other directions may argue with me)
I will now talk about techniques that can be used to work with the consequences of traumatic events, and not when the event has just happened and emergency measures need to be taken to stabilize the mental state of a person.
The first, and most basic, thing that needs to be restored is feeling safe … Safety is the most important resource for change and transformation of negative experiences. Therefore, developing and forming a sense of security in your body is very important for people who have experienced traumatic events.
An art therapy exercise for working with security.
Take an A3 sheet and gouache. Draw a place where you feel safe. This must be a place that really exists. Remember, 100% security does not exist, the place must be enough safe for you, what you could do, feel what you want in it. This is a place where you can be yourself and no one will bother you, and no one will threaten your safety. After drawing, look at the drawing and try to feel bodily safety. What is she like, how does she respond in the body? Record your observations mentally. Don't expect instant results from yourself, just allow yourself to feel all the impulses and emotions.
Body work. Borders.
To work with security, it is important to work out a sense of physical and mental boundaries … The first border that separates the outside world from the inside is the skin. Functional boundaries (those boundaries that can protect) give a sense of the security of existence. If the physical boundaries of the body are skin, then the mental and personal boundaries take up a certain space around our body. The following exercise can help restore personality boundaries.
Border thread. You will need a ball of yarn or fishing line. Sit in a comfortable position. Focus on the front of your body, then on both sides (alternately on the right and left), and finally on your back. Pay attention to where you feel the boundary of your personal space lies. In other words, try to determine how close you could let the other person in without feeling uncomfortable. Use a string or fishing line to mark this border of your personal space on the floor. If someone is around you, you can end the exercise by saying to that person, “See? This is the border of my personal space. You can cross this line and enter it only if I invite you."
While doing the exercise, pay attention to the sensations in the body, what happens to you when you are within the boundaries, how you feel at the same time. It is important to do this exercise often, if possible every day.
Working with boundaries in art therapy.
For working with borders, drawing mandalas is suitable. Draw a circle on an A3 sheet, find the center in it and fill the space of the circle with whatever you want. Any pictures and states. The role of boundaries in this technique is played by the boundaries of the circle, they separate the outer and inner space of the circle. Fill the circle with the states you want. And focus your attention on sensations in the body, track emotional states.
Body work. Grounding.
Grounding is contact with reality "here and now", feeling your bodily reality. Grounding is important, since one of the ego's defense mechanisms is the escape from the painful reality into the world of illusions and fantasies. There are many exercises for grounding yourself. I suggest an exercise by P. Levin
Sit in a chair. In this case, your feet should be level and firmly on the ground on the floor. Place your hands on your lower abdomen and feel the flow of energy rising from the ground through your feet and legs and into the area where your center of gravity is.
As you exercise, watch your breathing, sensations, and emotions.
By working with safety, boundaries and grounding, you will feel freer and enjoy life.
Recommended:
Self-isolation Stress And Anxiety / How To Survive An Epidemic / Self-regulation And Self-management
Quite recently, as if yesterday, it seemed to me that this topic is relevant for people experiencing health problems. Personally, I used these techniques for clients for whom stress is contraindicated for medical reasons, so an attempt to delve into the causes of a stressful situation could lead to additional exacerbations of the underlying disease, and there was only one thing left - teaching self-regulation techniques.
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