Posted by fallsfall on June 7, 2005, at 9:52:56
In reply to Re: sorting out feelings, posted by Dinah on June 7, 2005, at 7:35:53
You can get a really good list of emotion words from "Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder" (this is the DBT manual). I typed all the words out and printed them on colored paper (I used muted colors) - a different color for each major emotion group (i.e. fear vs. happiness vs. sadness etc.). Then I cut out the words. I call it emotional confetti.
I find that it helps me to identify what I'm feeling if I dump it out on the floor and pick out the words that seem to apply to me. Then I look at what color seems prominent, and it helps me to see the patterns (Today I am choosing a lot of fear words... or Today I am choosing mostly hopeful and sad words).
You can choose lots of words, or limit yourself to 5 or 10 or 15.
You can record which words you choose and see how your feelings change from day to day.
You can pick feelings with a friend and talk about why you chose the ones you did.
I created a contraption (made out of Dunkin' Donut cups and a spring) that when you removed the top cup the emotional confetti gets thrown all over the place. I made my therapists open it. This was how I showed them what it felt like to me - all of the emotions being jumbled and confused and spewing out all over the place.
poster:fallsfall
thread:506301
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20050606/msgs/509014.html