The start of something new
Today was the first day of group therapy. Transitions out patient program. 10:15am - 1:15pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the next four weeks. The first half is with Phil who did it last year, and the second half is with Gene who's a pretty cool guy. They've changed the program, but I think it will be better. It's more of a class now. I was grateful to myself that I brought a notebook and pen to take notes. I've been having a hard time keeping a grasp on my thoughts and what others say. Sometimes I can 'lose' what someone said after they said it. It's most annoying when I lose my thoughts during mid sentence or skip things when talking. It's like my mouth can't keep up with my brain. Apparently this can be linked with Bipolar, I can't say it's the meds because it's been happening for a long time.
The focus is Marsha Linehan's Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). It was designed for people that have Borderline personality disorder, but the principles can be applied to anyone. We watched one of her videos (I remembered it from last year as well). They are amusing to watch with their edits and she liked to sit in front of a fire and it was very Masterpiece Theatre. The video was From Suffering to Freedom: Practicing Reality Acceptance.
The basic principal? Dealing with reality as it is, not how we wish it to be.
4 options for painful problems:
1. Solve the problem
2. Change how you feel
3. Accept it
4. Stay miserable
A) Reality Acceptance Skills
1. Reality is what it is (Radical acceptance)
2. Everything has a cause (everything is as it should be)
3. Life can be worth living, even when there is pain
She had amusing little equations like Pain + Non Acceptance = Suffering and Radical = Complete + Total (so stop fighting).
Also that acceptance is saying Yes! and that we should do an exercise and say yes to different things. It was a little strange but I could only think of perverted things so.. ^^;;
You have to accept the problem before you can change it. If you can't accept it you can't move on.
B) Turning the Mind
1. First notice
2. Make an inner commitment (to accept)
C) Willingness
1. When you allow the world to be as it is.
2. You agree to participate (in life)
This is where it got a little confusing at first. There's a lot of talk of Willingness vs. Willfulness. Willingness GOOD (Acceptance/as is), Willfulness BAD (denial, fighting/shouldn't be)
Willingness posture.. if you can relax your body you can relax your mind. (Autogenics)
That was the second video, I actually missed the first video this round but I remember it from last year.. That one is Mindfulness. That's an interesting one about focusing on your thoughts or you actions but staying subjective and let them just fall off you. Not to get carried away by your emotions but still acknowledge them.
Um wow, this ended up being longer then I thought it would.
The focus is Marsha Linehan's Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). It was designed for people that have Borderline personality disorder, but the principles can be applied to anyone. We watched one of her videos (I remembered it from last year as well). They are amusing to watch with their edits and she liked to sit in front of a fire and it was very Masterpiece Theatre. The video was From Suffering to Freedom: Practicing Reality Acceptance.
The basic principal? Dealing with reality as it is, not how we wish it to be.
4 options for painful problems:
1. Solve the problem
2. Change how you feel
3. Accept it
4. Stay miserable
A) Reality Acceptance Skills
1. Reality is what it is (Radical acceptance)
2. Everything has a cause (everything is as it should be)
3. Life can be worth living, even when there is pain
She had amusing little equations like Pain + Non Acceptance = Suffering and Radical = Complete + Total (so stop fighting).
Also that acceptance is saying Yes! and that we should do an exercise and say yes to different things. It was a little strange but I could only think of perverted things so.. ^^;;
You have to accept the problem before you can change it. If you can't accept it you can't move on.
B) Turning the Mind
1. First notice
2. Make an inner commitment (to accept)
C) Willingness
1. When you allow the world to be as it is.
2. You agree to participate (in life)
This is where it got a little confusing at first. There's a lot of talk of Willingness vs. Willfulness. Willingness GOOD (Acceptance/as is), Willfulness BAD (denial, fighting/shouldn't be)
Willingness posture.. if you can relax your body you can relax your mind. (Autogenics)
That was the second video, I actually missed the first video this round but I remember it from last year.. That one is Mindfulness. That's an interesting one about focusing on your thoughts or you actions but staying subjective and let them just fall off you. Not to get carried away by your emotions but still acknowledge them.
Um wow, this ended up being longer then I thought it would.