A body scan is a mindfulness exercise in which we are instructed to become aware of different body parts in a set order. It is a standard exercise in PTSD treatment because it helps many people to feel more grounded in the present and it increases stability and the ability to self-regulate. People with cPTSD […]
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Befriending dissociated parts: First Steps
Some people with DID grow up thinking that having Others inside is normal because they always had a way to communicate with each other. But a lot of people are surprised by their diagnosis. They didn’t suspect anything and they don’t have any idea how to make first contact. There might be awareness of blackouts […]
Signposting for the Day (morning exercise)
This exercise is typically used when our days are chaotic because some parts are not aware of the plans others have made and we accidentally work against each other. We miss appointments, do things twice or forget them altogether, we might be chronically late or irrationally worried about being late etc. It is also a […]
Untangling mixed experiences (using percentages)
We will sometimes experience situations where we can’t figure out how to regulate ourselves or how to solve a problem and just using more Orientation and Grounding is not doing the trick. The experience isn’t happening only in the present, only for us as a part or only within our person. Things got mixed up. […]
Preparing for difficult situations
We sometimes face difficult situations or events and we cannot avoid them because they are important (medical exams, our best friend’s wedding) or they will happen no matter what we do (anniversaries). We need to find a way to reduce the negative impact as much as possible and maybe even turn this into a success. […]
How to choose trauma content for processing
Sooner or later in our recovery journey we will have to decide where to start processing. Because of the amount of trauma we experienced we cannot possibly process everything and the good news is that we don’t have to. But we will have to use some kind of concept to help us prioritize what to […]
About the alternative diagnostic criteria for DID (Dell)
One of my great pleasures in life is reading scientific discourse. Specifically, when great minds discuss scientific theories and approaches and everyone picks on the problems in each other’s theory or framework. If you like these things, please make sure to read Dissociation and the Dissociative Disorders, articles by various specialists collected by Paul […]
Working with things that are overwhelming
During our healing journey we will experience quite a few things that will be too big for us, too intimidating and scary, so frightening that we are kicked outside our Window of Tolerance because we don’t have the capacity to work with them. When we are faced with memories we can always try to contain […]
The potential problem with cPTSD criteria in the ICD-11
Trauma specialists have struggled for 3 decades to get the cPTSD diagnosis officially acknowledged in the major diagnostic manuals. And they succeeded in the ICD-11. It is a reason to celebrate. But some of the very same specialists who fought so hard are now expressing concerns about the precise diagnostic criteria that were used. While […]
The Reason for phase-oriented Treatment
The recommended way to do trauma treatment is in 3 phases. They have been called by slightly different names over the decades but the goal of the phases never changed. First there is stabilization, then a form of processing and finally a phase of reintegration and adapting to the changes. The phases are not […]
Creating our own hell: Reenactments
Although TraumaTime is long past, many survivors struggle to create a life that is safe, peaceful and meaningful. It is as if we are somehow jinxed. We start out with good intentions and end up with the opposite of what we wanted. Sometimes that’s because we don’t have the support or resources we need and […]
Grounding Meditations (advanced)
I have recently switched out the mindfulness app on my phone. I used to use Smiling Mind, which is a mental health focussed app meant for people who want to reduce stress and stress-related symptoms. It offers very clear instructions with the purpose of stabilization and grounding and it is ideal for beginners and […]
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