It's My Life Now by Dugan Meg Kennedy Hock Roger R

Author:Dugan, Meg Kennedy, Hock, Roger R.
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-135-44315-3
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

SELF-EXPLORATION

Assessing Your Feelings

Sometimes survivors find it very difficult to assess the seriousness of their emotional difficulties. It is also difficult to be objective about the extent to which your feelings are interfering with your life. If you push your feelings aside or try to minimize them, you risk becoming stuck in them. This is a weeklong Self-Exploration exercise. It takes some time and effort, so plan carefully and try to follow through with it. You will find it very helpful. If you find working on this exercise feels uncomfortable and anxiety-producing, you may need either to wait until you feel ready, or enlist the help of a counselor to support you while you explore your feelings.

In Part I, check all of the feelings that you are experiencing. In Part II, document how often you are aware of the feelings during one week. In Part III, use the scale to determine how disturbing and disruptive the feelings are at different times during the day. As you complete the first three parts, also work on the last section of the chart. In Part IV, record each time your feelings of fear, anger, guilt, or depression interfere with your life. Do not judge your feelings. No “right or wrong” feelings exist. This chart is simply a way for you to examine your feelings more closely.

This exercise is designed to be repeated after one month and six months so you can be aware of your progress. Over time you may well see decreases in number, frequency, severity, and effects of your destructive emotional responses. If such decreases take place, that means you’re on the right track in your process of emotional healing. If your emotional responses stay about the same, but are not interfering too greatly with your daily life, maybe it will just take more time for you to move past them. If, however, you find that the number, frequency, or severity are increasing, you may want to consider some professional counseling to help you establish more effective management of your emotions so you can get on with the healing process.

Part I

Check the feelings you are experiencing. Check all that apply to you.

______ Fear of continued violence by ex-partner

______ Fear of violence by another person

______ Other fear _______________________________

______ Anger toward former partner

______ Anger toward yourself

______ Anger over circumstances that contributed to the abuse

______ Anger toward others who did not help

______ Anger toward others not related to abuse

______ Anger over current problems not associated with the abuse

______ Other anger _______________________________

______ Guilt over having begun the relationship

______ Guilt for having stayed in the relationship for as long as you did

______ Guilt about not being able to have ended your partner’s abuse

______ Other guilt _______________________________

______ Feelings of sadness

______ Feelings of hopelessness

______ Change in eating pattern

______ Change in sleeping pattern

______ Thoughts of killing yourself

______ Other related feelings of depression

______ Thoughts of, or actual cutting or other self-injury

______ Extreme reaction to sudden sounds or events

______ Thoughts of the abuse that suddenly jump into your mind

______ Complete refusal to

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