My UFO (unbelievably fabulous observations)

[figgeroni]

I suffer from PTSD and I worked with my therapist on concrete things before I worked on the visualizations

for example

I would only listen to words, not try to find intent
so i repeated a lot of things to people
it kept my mind present instead of racing onto the next imagined thing

Like...I would hear somebody say something that I FELT was yelling or negative against me and so I would restate it ina question "what I heard you saying there was that you were really mad at me for breaking the glass" so that they could respond with their REAL emotions instead of the ones I was placing on them "No I wasn't mad at you for breaking the glass...I was worried you hurt yourself, are you OK"

once I was comfortablish (because I feel like a tool doing it now even though I know it helps all of us so I am never COMFORTABLE, you know) then I worked on visualizing how I wanted to feel and where I wanted to be.

I read the book the secret and worked really hard at stopping negative thoughts and phrasing things in different ways
so instead of saying
I won't get fired
I said
I WILL stay employed

the meaning is the same but one has negative words and one has positive words, if that makes sense

once you start using postive words it helps boost your mental attitude

I also got sick less and became healthier without actually doing anything different than changing negative words to positive ones

I won't have to walk far
to
I will be close to where I need to be

[figgeroni]

I suffer from PTSD and I worked with my therapist on concrete things before I worked on the visualizations

for example

I would only listen to words, not try to find intent
so i repeated a lot of things to people
it kept my mind present instead of racing onto the next imagined thing

Like...I would hear somebody say something that I FELT was yelling or negative against me and so I would restate it ina question "what I heard you saying there was that you were really mad at me for breaking the glass" so that they could respond with their REAL emotions instead of the ones I was placing on them "No I wasn't mad at you for breaking the glass...I was worried you hurt yourself, are you OK"

once I was comfortablish (because I feel like a tool doing it now even though I know it helps all of us so I am never COMFORTABLE, you know) then I worked on visualizing how I wanted to feel and where I wanted to be.

I read the book the secret and worked really hard at stopping negative thoughts and phrasing things in different ways
so instead of saying
I won't get fired
I said
I WILL stay employed

the meaning is the same but one has negative words and one has positive words, if that makes sense

once you start using postive words it helps boost your mental attitude

I also got sick less and became healthier without actually doing anything different than changing negative words to positive ones

I won't have to walk far
to
I will be close to where I need to be

[figgeroni]

ugh..I figgied...sorry

[hoosiermama]

thanks,Coach!!

[bright_new_day]

wow, it's been a while since anyone has figgied! Very fitting that it was the originator of the faux pas!!!

[hoosiermama]

figgy, kat, bnd--sorry, somehow I didn't see your posts until just now! thank you. I understand what you're saying. I do some energy work, as does D14 (who's far better at it than I am) and so I am very aware of the effect of negative thoughts and projections, and the power of visualization. now--if I just knew what to visualize!

actually, today is the first day of Lent. Very cool thing--my daughter was the one giving me ashes in church this morning! I've decided the timing is perfect--my Lenten practice will be to try to look forward instead of just watching my feet so I don't fall. reconnect with some dreams. follow my bliss. it's as good a spiritual practice as any.

[Puppy Dog Tails]

This probably isn't what you want to hear, Hoozhasawhatchamacallit, but I STILL have this "waiting for the other shoe to drop" feeling, 2 1/2 years later.

I'm beginning to wonder if it EVER goes away.

Pupster

[hoosiermama]

ugh--no, it's not what I wanted to hear!! I honestly think there's a big element of PTSD in so many situations here--a psycho/physiological response to sudden unexpected trauma with painful repercussions. Even when events aren't sudden or there were some advance warnings, no one can really anticipate how broad or how deep the trauma goes once it begins.

I'm coming up on 2 years myself. Still find it necessary to consciously relax. Still have to consciously look for things to be grateful for--but I'm getting better at that.

[kat727]

Just wanted to stop by and see how you are doing.

kat

[hoosiermama]

thanks, kat. I'm doing fine. In the midst of a blissfully uneventful period of time.

potential good news, tho. I have an interview on Monday afternoon for a research position at the IU Medical Center. A friend works there and she passed along my resume. It would be a M-F position with a salary much more commensurate with my experience. I know nothing about research, but I have had positions with steep learning curves in the past and done well. I'm excited about the prospect, but afraid to get my hopes up too far.