Thank you so much that was very helpful. I’m going to go over these skills again. I’d like to use some of these skills to regulate and understand my binge and over eating as a comfort or barrier against my trauma. I need to do some mindfulness to figure some things out more. If you have any suggestions on how this can be done more in the relationship to addiction ( food) please share more info. Thank you so much for your very informative video. 🤗
Thanks, Tammy, Here are a few suggestions you can try if you'd like: - See if you can slow things down and check in with yourself before you start a binge. - Take note of what's been happening that day and what your triggers might be. - Do a body scan an check in with what your your body is feeling. Is there a part of your body that is struggling and needing attention? Just notice the sensations. See if you can send them compassion and healing energy. If your body is anxious, in pain, or in need of rest, see if there are other ways to work with those sensations. See if you can try some of the somatic resources described in sensorimotor psychotherapy to help soothe the uncomfortable body sensations. - Ask yourself: What do I need right now? Before satisfying that need with food (especially if it is not hunger--or only partly hunger), ask yourself how else you might soothe that need (e.g., if you are lonely and need to connect, maybe you could reach out to someone or tune into yourself in a way that helps you feel self-connected; if you're overworked, maybe you can give yourself a short break). - Get to know and communicate with the "binge eating" part of yourself (or other parts that are related, such as an anxious part, a shame part, an inner critic). Ask it how it is trying to help you. Validate that in its own distorted way, it is doing its best to protect you and make you feel better. Ask what it is afraid might happen if it stopped doing its job. Explore ways a healthier part of yourself can work with the binge eating part to meet your needs in a healthier and more effective way. I hope some of these help a little. You can let me know how things go if you try these out. Love, Dr. May
Does this type of therapy also help when you often have a emotional disconnect/dissociation in social settings in a freeze state? Like physically getting closer to other people is not easy for me because I am usually frozen so I don’t take that first step unless I feel some sort of safety first. In social settings I can sometimes also experience a lot of muscle tension which I can only let go when I arrive back home. Like my body tenses up when I go to crowded places.
Absolutely! It addresses issues with hyperarousal (fight, flight, cry for help, anxiety, anger) as well as hypoaroussl (freeze, shutdown, dissociation, shame, collapse). It offers skills and resources to help navigate those physical states and emotions plus helps address the memories that might be triggering your reactions (only when you’re resourced and ready). Other videos I have that may be helpful for you include disorganized attachment and the Connection Adaptive Survival Style of developmental trauma. Both address the issue of wanting to connect but being afraid to connect. Radically Open DBT also has techniques to help create a feeling of “social safety.” I think videos 3 and 4 on social safety, The Big 3 + 1, and Lovingkindness would be a good place to start. Hope that helps! 🙏💕
Please, please I need a seasoned sensorimotor psychotherapist to work with my 20 yr old son, who needs help w trauma an relational issues. We live in Fl, but online is ok … can you recommend a professional ?
Thank you for sharing this all. I’m 3 years into intensive therapy and not one therapist has mentioned this modality to me. Thank you so much ❤
You’re welcome! Hope it helps! 🙏
Great info! Thank you. I just started therapy with someone who implements the sensorimotor approach. It’s great.
Awesome! I hope your therapy will be beneficial for you! 😊
Great overview
Thank you so much that was very helpful.
I’m going to go over these skills again.
I’d like to use some of these skills to regulate and understand my binge and over eating as a comfort or barrier against my trauma.
I need to do some mindfulness to figure some things out more. If you have any suggestions on how this can be done more in the relationship to addiction ( food) please share more info.
Thank you so much for your very informative video. 🤗
Thanks, Tammy,
Here are a few suggestions you can try if you'd like:
- See if you can slow things down and check in with yourself before you start a binge. - Take note of what's been happening that day and what your triggers might be.
- Do a body scan an check in with what your your body is feeling. Is there a part of your body that is struggling and needing attention? Just notice the sensations. See if you can send them compassion and healing energy. If your body is anxious, in pain, or in need of rest, see if there are other ways to work with those sensations. See if you can try some of the somatic resources described in sensorimotor psychotherapy to help soothe the uncomfortable body sensations.
- Ask yourself: What do I need right now? Before satisfying that need with food (especially if it is not hunger--or only partly hunger), ask yourself how else you might soothe that need (e.g., if you are lonely and need to connect, maybe you could reach out to someone or tune into yourself in a way that helps you feel self-connected; if you're overworked, maybe you can give yourself a short break).
- Get to know and communicate with the "binge eating" part of yourself (or other parts that are related, such as an anxious part, a shame part, an inner critic). Ask it how it is trying to help you. Validate that in its own distorted way, it is doing its best to protect you and make you feel better. Ask what it is afraid might happen if it stopped doing its job. Explore ways a healthier part of yourself can work with the binge eating part to meet your needs in a healthier and more effective way.
I hope some of these help a little. You can let me know how things go if you try these out.
Love,
Dr. May
Does this type of therapy also help when you often have a emotional disconnect/dissociation in social settings in a freeze state?
Like physically getting closer to other people is not easy for me because I am usually frozen so I don’t take that first step unless I feel some sort of safety first.
In social settings I can sometimes also experience a lot of muscle tension which I can only let go when I arrive back home.
Like my body tenses up when I go to crowded places.
Absolutely! It addresses issues with hyperarousal (fight, flight, cry for help, anxiety, anger) as well as hypoaroussl (freeze, shutdown, dissociation, shame, collapse). It offers skills and resources to help navigate those physical states and emotions plus helps address the memories that might be triggering your reactions (only when you’re resourced and ready).
Other videos I have that may be helpful for you include disorganized attachment and the Connection Adaptive Survival Style of developmental trauma. Both address the issue of wanting to connect but being afraid to connect.
Radically Open DBT also has techniques to help create a feeling of “social safety.” I think videos 3 and 4 on social safety, The Big 3 + 1, and Lovingkindness would be a good place to start.
Hope that helps! 🙏💕
Please, please I need a seasoned sensorimotor psychotherapist to work with my 20 yr old son, who needs help w trauma an relational issues. We live in Fl, but online is ok … can you recommend a professional ?
I don't know anybody in your area, but they have a directory on Sensorimotorpsychotherapy.org that might help.