PROCESSES
SITEMAP
CLUSTERS
ARCHIVED
DISCUSSIONS
LINKSPAGE
LEARN-INS
GUESTBOOK
Emo Direct Exposure
EMO DIRECT-EXPOSURE
***Warning: Folks with a history of mental illness, severe trauma, or panic are urged not to use this process without a therapist. If you decide to use this process you will agree to absolve the webmasters, the server, Steve Mensing, and Emoclear.com of any responsibility for either the application or misaplication of this process. With any emotional process it's possible that someone could experience discomfort. So proceed with this warning.***
EMO DIRECT-EXPOSURE.
Emo Direct Exposure is the Emoclear spin on research validated "in vivo" exposure. In vivo exposure is a very effective method for desensitizing performance anxiety, public speaking anxiety, panic, social anxiety, Low Frustration Tolerance, and other high arousal situations. What sets Emo Direct Exposure apart from standard "in vivo" exposure is the use of comfort making and resistance suppressing techniques during direct exposure along with the No Intention Intention of fully feeling a feeling and allowing it to be there without trying to get rid of it or keep it.
(c) Steve Mensing
EMO DIRECT-EXPOSURE
**Prior to doing the emotionally charged activity, SUD Scale your distress from 10 down to 1 with 10 being the most distress and 1 being no distress. Stop the process when you are down to 1 on the SUD Scale or have no more distress.**
(1) CHOOSE AN ACTIVITY WHERE YOU EXPERIENCE HIGHLY CHARGED EMOTIONS (Anxiety, fear, panic, anger, a phobia, PTSD, an activity you avoid, social anxiety, Low Frustration Tolerance, public speaking anxiety, shame, embarassment, or some other highly charged emotions). CREATE COMFORT (Choose one or two of the following: tongue relaxation, palming the lower forhead/eyebrows, or breathing into the heartbeat area for several deep breaths). CHOOSE TO DO ONE OR TWO OF THE FOLLOWING PRIOR TO THE ACTIVITY:
*RELAX YOUR TONGUE: Relax your tongue by tensing it first and letting it relax and flatten against the bottom of your mouth. [This manuever isn't to be used for prior to any activity where you will speak (Public speaking anxiety or social anxiety)]. This maneuver suppresses emotional resistance and leads to a more comfortable experience.
*LOWER FOREHEAD/EYEBROW PALMING: Gently lay your palm and fingers across your lower forehead and eyebrows, with the karate base of your hand touching the bridge of your nose. Your fingers will point toward your ears. This manuever will alter blood flow in your frontal cortex and will help suppress resistance and overwhelm.
*BREATHING 12 DEEP INAHALATIONS AND EXHALATIONS INTO THE HEARTBEAT AREA: Inhale and exhale 12 times into the heartbeat region prior to fully feeling your feelings during the Emo Direct Exposure activity. This maneuver suppresses resistance and leads to a more comfortable experience.
(2) DO THE HIGHLY CHARGED EMOTIONAL ACTIVITY FROM START TO FINISH WHILE YOU FULLY FEEL YOUR EMOTIONS AND ALLOW THEM TO BE THERE WITHOUT TRYING TO GET RID OF THEM OR KEEP THEM. LET YOURSELF FULLY FEEL THEM: Do the highly emotional charged activity from start to finish while you fully feel your emotions and allow them to be there without trying to get rid of them or keep them. Let yourself fully feel these emotions.
**If at anytime during the process you begin to feel very overwhelmed, you can break the overwhelm by using the SHRUNKEN HEAD. Simply rub your palms and fingers briskly together while you suck in your lips and cheeks hard and feel your feelings. This will stop the flight/fight signal to your brain and lead to a major reduction in overwhelm. If you find yourself rapid breathing or hyperventalating, then add in slow 4x4x4x4x breathing. Here you breathe slowly from your belly while you inhale for a slow 4 count, hold for a slow 4 count, exhale for a slow 4 count, and inhale again for a slow 4 count. This will calm you and halt any hyperventalation.**
(3) REPEAT THE HIGHLY CHARGED EMOTIONAL ACTIVTY FROM START TO FINISH UNTIL IT IS COMPLETELY DESENSITIZED: Repeat the highly charged emotional activity from start to finish until it's completely desensitized. Check it after each cycle with the SUD Scale.
TIPS FOR EMO DIRECT EXPOSURE.
*Always hydrate yourself prior to doing this direct exposure work and never do this work when you're tired or ill.
*If you are working with PTSD, panic, or facing a phobia where you don't have to talk, repeat the 26 letter alphabet from A to Z during the activity. Keep repeating the alphabet slowly and with some articulation during the entire activity. Repeating the alphabet aloud will help keep you in the present and make the process a bit more comfortable due to your divided attention.
Take care, Steve