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1) Trigger

-Overwhelmed for whatever reason (stress, schema triggered, weather etc)

Antidote:

-Getting overwhelmed is normal part of human experience

-Exercise

-Go for a walk

-Spend time with kids

-Get a hobby

-Go for a dinner with the wife

2) Worrying

-“What if..” thoughts

Antidote:

-Trust in your ability to handle problems as they come. “Cross the bridge when we get there”. You will never have all the information. There will be uncertainty

-Trust that decision, which you make are right.

-These are just old patterns creeping in. It will take time to re-wire

-Are there any known external vulnerabilities you got susceptible to (ex. hangover, stressful Monday, bad weather, season change). If yes, take that in consideration

-“What am I thinking now?”.

• Labeling emotion and thoughts as information to be considered helps create enough distance that actions are less impulsive

-Was Schema (subjugation / mistrust / enmeshment / approval-seeking etc triggered? If yes, attend to it

-Based on previous experience, do these thoughts represent a problem, based on facts and odds, or they are just ANTs?

-If these thoughts are ANTs, simply dismiss them.

• Avoid analysis-paralysis
• Do not get stock in inner conflict of dismissing thoughts constantly. Dismiss them one by one and take a break
• Use visualization. Leaves floating down the river.

-Use Dysfunctional Thoughts Record form. Do it all on paper, not in your mind. Set time aside.

-If these thoughts represent real problem, use problem solving skills to solve them. Problem solve on paper, not in your mind. After that dismiss these thoughts

• You don't have to solve all problems at once. Start with the most urgent one.

• Problem solving is fun

-Play Time Warp (will this be important a year from now?)

-“What I know?”, “What I don’t know?”, “What I can influence?”, “What I can’t control?”

1. Am I falling into a thinking trap (e.g., catastrophizing or overestimating danger)?

2. What is the evidence that this thought is true? What is the evidence that this thought is not true?

3. Have I confused a thought with a fact?

4. What would I tell a friend if he/she had the same thought?

5. What would a friend say about my thought?

6. Am I 100% sure that ___________will happen?

7. How many times has __________happened before?

8. Is __________so important that my future depends on it?

9. What is the worst that could happen?

10. If it did happen, what can I do to cope with or handle it?

11. Is my judgment based on the way I feel instead of facts?

12. Am I confusing “possibility” with “certainty”? It may be possible, but is it likely?

13. Is this a hassle or a horror?

3) Anxiety/Rumination/Fear/Panic/Dissociation

-Non-stop somatic and cognitive sensations. Fear of fear

-Fear of somatic sensation.

-Ruminating about past

Antidote:

-Fully accept anxiety and tell yourself that it is harmless. It is a natural response to being “lost in thought” and overwhelmed

-EVERY scary thought that comes from panic is an absurd exaggeration, groundless and completely untrue.

-Exposure. Never avoid! However, do not overexpose. Use middle path between exposure and distraction. Distraction does not mean avoidance.

-Opposite Action

-Observe and Describe.

-Create space between you and anxiety. Take it out of your body and observe from the outside.

-Tolerate somatic and cognitive symptoms

-Avoid self-checking in the morning
-Mindfulness in the morning. One-mindfully

-Slow down

-Use Worry Period

- Racing thoughts are like ticker tape displaying all stocks. Do not attend to these thoughts until the end of the day, when ticker tape stops. When ticker tape is ticking, write thoughts down. When ticker tape stops use Antidote for Worrying (2)

3b) Uncued Anxiety(Free-floating)/Emptiness/Boredom

-Feeling of impending doom (with or without anxiety symptoms)

-Flat and empty

-Dissociated

Antidote:

-Are there any known external vulnerabilities you got susceptible to (ex. hangover, stressful Monday, bad weather, season change). If yes, take that in consideration

-Ground yourself in the present moment (count backwards, name objects, state your name, where you live, current year etc.)

-Name what you are doing now and where you are doing it

-The goal is to diffuse dissociation

Where am I? Response is: 'Here'

What Time is it? Response is: 'Now'

Who am I? Response is: 'This Moment'

Now answer questions below.

 “What am I thinking right now?”

 “What is making me feel anxious?”

 “What am I worried will happen?”

 “What bad thing do I expect to happen?”

-After cause of anxiety is identified use Antidote for Worrying (2)

4) Exhaustion and Demoralization

-In the well

-Frantically trying to find solutions.

-Dissociation all day.

 -Lost in thought and worries.

-Constant inner conflict.

-Bad sleep

-Cold sweat

-Unable to use skills

Antidote:

-Setbacks are expected and big part of transformation

-I’ve been here many times before and got out of it without anyone else’s help.

-Stop all problem solving.

-Stop all thought dismissing

-No inner conflict.

-Do nothing

-Distract (games, music, exercise, and walk)

-Push Away

-Self-Sooth

-Build on positive

-Increase benzos if necessary

-Don't take yourself too seriously
-Gently get your mind off yourself

-Squeeze ice

-Take cold shower