Disturbed by Diaologue Exercise, Day 15

Today I did the dialogue exercise where you ask, Why did you_____? I started the dialogue with a person who harmed me recently, but it gave me the creeps and I had to stop. I then did it with someone from my childhood and it was easier but still disturbing. Am I not ready for this exercise maybe? I read the assignment early this morning and put it off all day, then finished tonight. My symptoms have diminished delightfully since I began the program, but today they resurfaced. Should I skip an exercise that I find disturbing or try to complete it? Thank you.

 

In general, I think it's fine to take a break with the program, or skip some exercises (ideally come back to them at some point). However, the fact that your symptoms worsened while dealing with these memories/exercises seems to imply that your brain does not want you thinking about them . . . which means you have to deal with them, at some point. Otherwise, it is possible the symptoms may persist to keep you from avoiding this topic.

The best advice I can give is that if you find certain topics and exercises you are scared or worried about addressing, try to have a mental health professional on standby. I was seeing a therapist weekly when I went through the program, so I would save exercises that I knew would be really hard for the day of or before a therapy session. That way the therapist could help me feel more grounded after getting all upset.

 

Great advice, thanks!

 

I found the dialogue exercise to be easier to apply when I had a present gain of understanding the other party more, like in an argument with my spouse.

I also had difficulties applying it to some old memory (like a bully or similar) that is now longer in my life. Or someone I truly dislike in my current life (at work). I just got angry that I had to try to think like them.

Maybe I will revisit that way of writing later.