Is there a memory in your life that you feel affects your current life and you can’t ‘get over it’? Perhaps it was a childhood event that traumatized you and still hampers your daily life? Even if it was out of your control and you weren’t in a position of power at the time, do you sometimes wonder if you went back in time, could you somehow change it?
Even if your childhood memories are not particularly bad or eventful, are you currently in a situation where you feel completely powerless or have no control over some aspect of life? Do you keep going over and over it in your mind, thinking about how bad it is but not sure what to do? Or do you just feel stuck and want to change your current situation?
While change is inevitable and bad things happen all the time to both good and bad people, the quality of your thoughts WILL AFFECT your current situations, regardless of when or where it happens.
For anyone experiencing prior trauma (such as during childhood), I will discuss two different techniques used to overcome your negative associations. Keep in mind that these two therapies may not work in some cases, such as rape or physical violence.
Immersion therapy is the best therapy for someone who has some type of phobia. This is also a good treatment to overcome any type of fear. I included this therapy in my list because it is very common for people with strong fears or phobias to miss something.
For example, the fear or phobia of flying may prevent you from traveling to places you would otherwise want to go but cannot due to your debilitating reaction to flying.
In this therapy, the person is given steps to overcome their fear or phobia. In my example, the first step might be to look at an image of an airplane. They are then taken through a relaxation session. The next step could be to go to the airport. A new series of relaxation techniques are used. The stages are continued until they are able to successfully fly from one destination to another.
Desensitization therapy is a good therapy for anyone who wants to work through something in stages through less intense treatment. This is also a great treatment for those who also suffer from phobias and other problems.
Desensitization is described as: ‘occurring when an emotional response is repeatedly evoked in situations where the action tendency associated with the emotion is irrelevant or unnecessary’.*
The great thing about desensitization is that anyone can do this. They can start with the help of a therapist to give them the tools they need and then develop the skills to do it on their own so that negative thoughts reoccur less and less.
Even being able to talk about the problem with friends, family, and loved ones helps. Simply put, when you talk more and more, you feel less pain in the long run. It is similar to the idea of becoming desensitized by watching violence on television, as desensitizing yourself to your negative associations will be a gradual and, in most cases, effective process.
The following form of therapy works well with someone who is currently facing some problems that they feel they cannot escape. It can be anything from a bad work environment to not being able to get along with family. It can also help you if you suffer from something like overeating, smoking, or sexual addictions.
NLP is short for Neural Linguistic Programming. It is commonly associated with hypnosis and is not considered a science. This therapy shows you how your neurological associations (Neurals) with speech (Linguistics) affect your daily life (programming).
In this specific therapy, the therapist is not based on a deficit model (like most therapies), in which he ‘solves a problem’, but is based on the foundations. Basically, clients are not thought of as broken, but as doing the best they can in their situation with what they already know. The client often even considers himself an expert in his own life, since no one knows you as well as you do.
Sounds interesting, right? While the founders may not be recognizable to most people outside of the field of psychology, he may be familiar with Tony Robbins. He is one of the people who made this type of therapy common and well known. This is a good option if you want to try something a little different.
If you are suffering from negative thoughts or associations, either from your past or present, getting a trained therapist can help you through the therapies I have recommended. I can also teach you how to use some of these techniques in the comfort of your own home. You no longer have to suffer for your past or current situation, you can overcome it!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desensitization_therapy