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The Dynamics of Emotional Mind – DBT-CBT Conference Handout – 072411
This hand-out addresses the dynamics of Emotional Mind and its role in driving destructive emotion-driven coping behaviors (e.g., substance abuse, aggression, eating disorders, etc.)
The “Cycle of Suffering”- when we respond to emotional pain and life problems in destructive, emotion-driven ways, we end up with new problems and increasingly severe old problems…and we feel worse than before. If we respond to this new level of pain and problems in destructive ways, our pain and problems will continue to intensify and multiply. Because we’re not working through our pain or resolving our problems, our emotional baggage piles up. The trauma from the past weighs us down in the present and intensifies present misery. What could have been temporary pain and problems has turned into long-term pain and suffering. The only way to get the cycle of suffering to stop…is to stop it. We can stop our suffering by stopping our destructive coping behavior. We must turn on Rational Mind to “think through before we do” and we must “follow through” with Wise Mind problem-solving and life-enhancing coping behaviors.
Based on: “Out-of-Control: A Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Workbook for Getting Control of Our Emotions and Emotion-Driven Behavior” copyright © 2010 by Melanie Gordon Sheets, Ph.D. (www.dbt-cbt-workbook.com)
~~~ ~~~ ~ The DBT-CBT Workbook ~ ~~~ ~~~ 
I was at the TAAP conference and bough Melanie’s book. I feel this will be one of the most exciting tools I will ever use. I have been telling everyone who does therpay abouyt this book. Does she have any lother worksop in the future.
Hey Violet! I certainly remember you from the conference! Thank you so much for the awesome feedback! It was a joy to meet you and I’m sooooo glad you really like the workbook. I’m getting ready to present at the Houston TAAP Spectrum Conference in Sept (22-24) and I’ll be doing the Texas State Forensic Conference at North Texas State Hospital – Vernon campus in late October. Look for the DBT-CBT Workbook facebook page and we can keep in contact there. I really hope to do more blog and facebook postings, it’s just hard to keep up with when life gets hectic! Violet if you ever see me around…and I don’t see you first….get my attention!
Melanie
I have to reply to myself. I was just reading “The only way to get the cycle of suffering to stop…is to stop it. We can stop our suffering by stopping our destructive coping behavior. We must turn on Rational Mind to “think through before we do” and we must “follow through” with Wise Mind problem-solving and life-enhancing coping behaviors.” Beyond just stopping the destructive copings (major feat in itself) and practicing life-enhancing coping, we must also be willing to “lean into” our pain and problems. We’ve gotta deal with here-and-now problems and whatever is troubling us from the past…another major recovery feat. (Geez, if we were good at that…we probably would not have developed destructive copings in the first place!) Part of “leaning into” is prioritizing what needs to be addressed in the here-and-now…and leaning into it…not jumping in feet first…and not diving in and getting in over our head…”leaning into” is a Rational Mind and Wise Mind task. We need to be very mindful of our emotional state, other life demands, etc…and be wise…to push ourselves to do as much as we can…and to pull back as needed…to rest up, regain our strength….and then…lean back into it. We need to work to manage our Emotional Mind state…so we can maintain control…and not get out-of-control. Why is recovery so hard? Well, here’s one reason!
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