Handout
1. Listen to track one through six on CM1-6 once a day. Record in your notebook the date and time.
2. Set the hourly chime on your watch to remind you to take five deep breaths during the day. When you hear the chime, interrupt your normal thought process and focus on taking five deep breaths. Of course you can shut off the chime when you go to bed or in other situations where it might be disruptive. Take five deep breaths at other times during the day. Associate it with things you do everyday. For instance, every time you get in and out of your vehicle, take five deep breaths. Every time you go to the bathroom, take five deep breaths. You are in training to become an expert in deep breathing.
3. Once a day, I want you to do the ‘Staying in the Moment’ exercise we did earlier. Record in your notebook the date and time.
4. Use your notebook to:
A. Record date and time of instances where you have flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks and how you responded to those episodes.
B. Daily entry about how you are doing with the training and what questions you have for me and/or the group.
I will ask you to share notations in your notebook with me and other group members at different times.
Some of you may be thinking that I’ve assigned a lot of work. That’s one of the reasons I’m referring to our work together as training. Each one of you is struggling with some form of PTSD. This experience can seriously contaminate the quality of your life. In my view, this training you’ll be doing could be one of the most important challenges of your life. Remember your military training. When you didn’t think you could do it, somebody was on your back or in your face telling you that you didn’t have a choice and you completed the training. You’re older and wiser now. Nobody will be on your back or in your face. You must be the one to hold yourself accountable. Each of you has a choice. My job is to facilitate this process. You have a lot of books to drop and pick up. Be encouraged; you can do it.
Listen to CM6
See you next session. Go in peace.