Developing Mind, Third Edition : How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are (9781462542833) by Siegel Daniel J

Author:Siegel, Daniel J. [James Lock]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781462542833
Publisher: Lightning Source Inc

Recovery Processes

In the attorney’s interaction with her colleague, she went beyond the boundaries of her window. She entered a state in which self-reflection, thinking about her emotions, achieving some distance from her reflexive reactions, and considering other options for behavior beyond her immediate impulses were not possible. All of these cortical processes are thought to be shut down when a person is emotionally flooded in this way. A first step in helping this patient was having her learn the boundaries of her window of tolerance—that is, the points at which interactions with others began to generate intense states that moved her to the edge of control. Becoming aware of the state of her body (tension in her muscles, tightness in her stomach and throat) and sensing images of anger in her mind were the first stages in learning to monitor her internal state more effectively. This is one aspect of “mindsight skill” training. Its aim was to enable her to modify the flow of energy and information toward integration as she progressed in her treatment. Prevention of ruptures exceeding her tolerance was the most helpful strategy for her. She also needed to learn techniques for increasing the speed at which she could recover, once she was outside her window.

How does the mind ever recover from this state of suspended cortical processing and thinking about thinking (metacognition)? The recovery process may vary from person to person, again depending on present context, constitution, and personal history. Certain states may be easier to recover from than others; specific contexts may activate a particular cluster of neural net profiles from which it is especially difficult to recover, whereas others may be more readily repaired. For example, if a person feels betrayed by a close friend who has never been suspected of being disloyal, then recovering from a flood of anger and sadness may be particularly difficult. On the other hand, being let down by an acquaintance of dubious reliability may create anger that is relatively easy to bring back into the window of tolerance.

Recovery means decreasing the disorganizing effects of a particular episode of emotional arousal.

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