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| | Notices | Welcome to PTSD Forum. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a life threatening, debilitating disorder that can break down a sufferer’s body through anxiety and stress. Further it poses a significant suicide risk resulting from the brains neurological imbalance and chemical depression. Sufferers often live in denial, thus this community is aimed at helping PTSD sufferers help themselves through others experiences, guidance and education. We are here for the sufferer, spouse and families surrounding PTSD. Spouses and family are too often forgotten in this equation, and often they receive all the worst that PTSD has to offer. If you're involved in any way with PTSD, get registered and help yourself now. Non-active members will eventually be deleted. If you are not a sufferer, carer or someone within the mental health industry, and active, then there is little reason for you to be a member of this forum. Non-active members with zero posts are deleted periodically during the year. |  | 
01-01-2007, 12:39 AM
|  | Administrative Editor PTSD | | Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 7,199
| | Anthony's Mental Image Added Note: This is my real current mental imagery. Dr. Roerich will summate this imagery, as I cannot do it myself, as that would not be exactly accurate otherwise. This is an exact example of all you simply need to do. Be honest with what you see, and the first thing that comes to mind for any question, is the correct response. There are no right or wrong answers.
This is an imaginery journey down a road. Take in the sights, sounds and colours, just like a video camera recording all that lies surrounding you. Survey the scene, noticing whatis far off in the distance, the background surrounds, the weather, the season and a total image of what you view. Feel the ground beneath your feet. Try to visualize it as a picture on a canvas, but with movement, sound, colour and emotion. You are the surveyor on this journey. Draw your journey on paper if you desire, as it often shows clearer results, then attach your drawing via snapshot or scan to your post. Q1. What colour is the road? White Q2. What texture is the road? Smooth but textured, like a non-slip paint you paint stairs or concrete with, to avoid slipping over. Q3. How solid is the road? My road is solid and stable.
You continue walking and come to a river that must be crossed. There before you is the river; the size and depth are up to you. You cannot go around it but must imagine a way to cross it. Whatever you need to cross the river is already within your mind, just imagine seeing yourself do it. Q4. How do you cross the river? I walk through it. Q5. What does the water look like? The water is clear, a slight blueish tinge. Q6. How fast is the water current? Slow and steady. Q7. Is there anything in the water? If so, what? No, my river is clear to freely walk across. The bottom of my river is sandy and quite easy to walk upon in order to cross.
You have crossed the river and continue walking. You come to a house. Take a good look at the house. Notice the impression it makes on you. Q8. What colour is the house? A lovely pale green. Q9. What condition is the house in? Its not new, but not old, maybe a year old. So it is established and comfortable. Q10. Does anyone live in the house? If so, who? Yes... me, my wife, my children, family and my wifes family.
We continue forward in our minds journey and come to an open field. A cup is on the ground, and we stop to examine it. The cup can be of any size, shape, colour and description. Focus on it's look, condition and contents. Q11. What colour is the cup? Clear glass. Q12. What condition is the cup in? The cup is brand new. Q13. Is there anything in the cup? If so, what? No.
You continue walking down the road and come to something blocking your path. It stops you in your tracks and prevents you from going forward. This is an obstacle. Q14. What is the obstacle, and please describe it in detail? My obstacle is my wife. She is her normal self, happy at times, though aggressive and arguementative at times. She is dressed well, makeup and so forth. Q15. What do you see beyond the obstacle? I see the horizon, the clear blue sky as its a lovely sunny summer day. The distance contains lovely clear landscape, picturesque to say the least, and quite pleasing to look at.
Last edited by anthony; 01-01-2007 at 12:43 AM.
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01-01-2007, 12:59 AM
|  | Administrative Editor PTSD | | Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 7,199
| | Quote:
Now you have had a break, go back to every question and look at your response. Try and find what you feel that your mind presented the image it did. Explain colours you chose, textures, water, cup, solids, liquids, space, objects, people, anything and everything that you wrote from your projected image, try and find what you feel to why you have that image. Don't look hard at things, instead try and look for the easy answers, as they are often the correct one's. Don't attempt to find something that isn't present, just look at each aspect for its absolute simplicity.
This is not an absolute, but something you must do in order to try and self analyse yourself. This is important. Please answer what you can, and simply define if you cannot find an emotion to a response you gave.
| # My road is white because I see white with a feeling of innocent idealism, in that I do not really feel overwhelmed by any one thing at present, though more just normal life and relationship issues.
# I have a solid textured road to walk on, because I feel that my life is quite stable at present, ie. my foundation of myself, even though some family issues are present, whilst a little daunting, I feel fairly stable, though I could slip if I don't maintain my stress, thus the textured paint.
# My river is clear, free of obtrusions, slow running and shallow as I feel a sense of enjoyment, relaxation and warmth to be honest, when I stand in shallow slow running waters. I used to do this when in the military and coming across a creek to rest around. Standing in shallow water gives me a sense of calm and provides coolness when exerted.
# My house is pale green because I am not a dark coloured person really. Whilst I don't mind some dark colours at times, I feel dark colours makes me quiet and secretive. I have always been fascinated and attracted to light colours, ie. like my yellow lounge I have that my wife hates, compared to her darker colours that she is attracted too. Light to me makes me feel more energetic, where dark makes me feel more depressed.
# My house isn't brand new because quite honestly, I feel a lot of energy and stress is required with something like a new house. A lot of work has to be done in order to establish it, to make it a home as such. With a pre-established house and my family within it, to me I feel I have more time to spend with them, than to worry or create stress building a new foundation as such.
# My cup... well, I'm not really sure about my cup. I can see through it, hence why its clear. It can break if dropped, so maybe I feel more like the cup resembles aspects of life, as they can break if dropped, or enough pressure is applied. I don't want anything in my cup, otherwise I couldn't look through it.
# My wife is my obstacle at the moment, because she is creating me a lot of stress from fighting and not getting along with my teenage son. This means that I am being forced into a position of a mediator, instead of just being able to enjoy family. My wife is definately something I just cannot get around at present, and it is causing me a great deal of frustration.
# Beyond my obstacle... well, I love scenery. Sitting in the mountains makes me think about the clear air, the pure blissful sounds of the country, not the city of screaming cars, horns, neighbours and so forth. I am definately the type of person that admires rural / residential life much more than city life. I feel as though I have a lot to look forward too with watching my children grow, playing with them, and my work outlook. I feel pretty positive about my future.
Last edited by anthony; 01-01-2007 at 01:25 AM.
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01-01-2007, 03:42 AM
| | M.D. | | Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Ohio, USA
Posts: 87
| | Mental imagery is a hidden, subconscious language Our feelings hold true as our mind's way to capture emotionally significant life events, for it were otherwise we simply would not be able to survive. Born into this world with a pure, pristine, blank slate we are innocent only once as life writes upon that slate our emotional life, coloring all aspects with sights, sounds and external sensory perceptions from the outside world, now recording this inside our world as emotional memory. It is a very private, personal diary. It is a narrative of our emotional life as we have lived it.
The responses given are symbolic data with a general meaning common to others and specific meaning depending upon the forces at work within that person's mind, or psychodynamics.
The 15 basic questions and an understanding of the responses has provided a peek into the subconscious over the years to those who have described their journey on an imaginary road. Our defense mechanisms only allow us to make conscious the subconscious when we are able to have a conscious, logical look at it. Until then, some mental images will literally remain in the dark until we are prepared and able to take a clear look at them.
Psychodynamic data on limited 15 responses of Anthony's imaginary journey:
Honesty in communication and relationships hold a high value with a spirit of innocent idealism that things should be good and right. Growth in all aspects is important also, striving to achieve the best one can be for oneself and all that one does. Yet all is not within our total control, not how we feel at times, nor how others feel or interact with us.
Trust is there in intimate relationships and enjoyment as well of these interactions with others. Vulnerability in getting close to people is an aspect of life with rich rewards as we interact with others who also value health and growth as one does.
We provide for our family and self in a home life we choose to create with a wish that others contribute equally as we do. Yet feelings stirred in others is an independent variable with hope that we are treated by others as we treat them.
In committed relationships we realize that things may change in a moment for what we hold to be strong at one moment can become fragile in the next. Such is life, capable of change, and there is a wish that growth continue to occur and strengthen those relationships with the true ideal of what life is all about, whatever that may be for us.
Persons in our life affect us and vice versa. There may be present difficulties in those relationships, for life is not perfect. Things said and done cannot be reversed, but their emotional impact on us and others can. We can learn and continue to grow in relationships important to us for the good of all concerned. That requires open and honest communication and a working together of any friction occurring at the moment. It can work if we do all we can to make it so and those significant people in our lives interact for positive growth and betterment.
Roerich | 
01-01-2007, 01:21 PM
|  | Administrative Editor PTSD | | Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 7,199
| | The response from Dr. Roerich here is a general response, and we have discussed it in more detail privately. This response is an example of how my own mental imagery has been determined to my current emotional self.
To put it simply, Dr. Roerich has used tact in delivery, where my delivery is certainly not as refined, nor tactful, though you get the idea of an interpretation. | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes | Linear Mode |
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