CBT: Troubleshooting My Mind
I have an issue with the brake light on my vehicle. Because of the magic of Google, I found a couple troubleshooting forums, and found others having the same issue. One kind person even answered with detailed instructions on how to make an adjustment in the wiring and save everyone $40. Instead of depending on a specs diagram or the owners manual (which I do not have), I found a more practical solution at the tip of my fingers. Bingo!!! I found an analogy in this! And if you haven’t learned this about me yet, I love analogies.
I often say that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has been my saving grace. I use what I have learned as a sort of troubleshooting guide for my own mind. I have found it to be the best way to get control over ruminating thoughts and embarrassing behaviors before they happen.
In this article by EverydayHealth.com:
https://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/living-well-bipolar-disorder/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-techniques/
you will find many useful ways to ease Mania and Depression symptoms just by recognizing them for what they are and where they come from. Consider this chart as a guide as you read the next paragraph:
At any point during an episode we have the power of understanding, but often don’t recognize that we have that power. we feel helpless and hopeless in an instant. This goes for any kind of mental illness, not just bipolar. When we recognize where our thoughts are coming from, we have the power to control what comes next. Thoughts come from a previous experience or behavior. Those previous experiences come from the results of emotions we experienced when this happened to us before. Recognizing those emotions and behaviors as part of what we were thinking at the time, help us identify ways to better our current situation.
I have been at this bipolar-thing for a while now, so I can usually coach myself. However, CBT takes lots and lots and lots of practice in order to be effective. It is not a practical method for newly diagnosed people. But, for those of us who are trying to understand why we behave as we do so that we can heal from it, it is a highly effective practice. These ideas are a little easier for us to process because we have accepted the diagnosis, which is the first highly critical step.
So, how do I troubleshoot? Good question. It is not instantaneous, although I wish it was. I often fall head-first into the emotions of the last experience. It is when I feel the most emotionally vulnerable that I pick up where my thoughts are taking me. More often than not, I’m running around like a headless chicken, and need to find a quick way to ground myself. This is especially true dealing with trauma triggers. Grounding is the best way to control the amygdala and our fight or flight response. I often use my 5 senses as a grounding technique. If you can control the things you see, hear, smell, feel and taste, you can also control how much of that emotion you are feeling will affect the outcome.
Troubleshooting issues, whether it’s a taillight on a vehicle or a trauma response, work in the same way. The first step is recognizing there is an issue. I noticed my taillight wasn’t working properly, so I looked up ways to identify the problem and found a way to fix it for myself instead of taking it to a garage. I found effective diagnostic solutions from people who had the same issue with the same type of vehicle. This is a part I can purchase at a parts store, and because of helpful instructions, I can install it myself. Troubleshooting our own minds can save us time, energy and future grief. We will not always have counselors and therapists at the ready. That’s why it is important to have tools on hand for when we are most vulnerable.
