Welcome,
The redirecting self-therapy(RST)is about reducing the flood of anger in your brain, and it "Works If You Work It!" Be sure to print out this Welcome message and the Pamphlet on: http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Sauna/2579/pamphlet.html or on:
http://homepages.nyu.edu/~er26/pamphlet.html

 

Refer to these when you have questions. Also read all the articles on http://homepages.nyu.edu/~er26

 

Your journey may seem like a roller coaster ride because mood swings can intensify temporarily, but as long as you continue to redirect your anger, you will recover fully. You will find support in the Archives/Messages where people have shared their stories, asked questions, expressed doubts, and described their success with the RST. Be sure to read the most recent messages that have numerical numbers in their subject titles. These are important summaries which are repeated. I have dropped the post-flood analogy as it gave people the idea they could be completely cured in a few months. You can be relieved of deprssion in this time, but unless you have already let go of addictions, including the addiction to stimulatory and sedating foods, full recovery takes a good year or more. You can slowly let go of addictions as you use the RST.
 
A good beginning is to write about your childhood relationships and subsequent relationships with persons who were similar to ! your parents. This will give you a list of past abusers. Do not try to recall specific incidents of childhood abuse or re-experience early trauma without a therapist who understands your need to redirect anger.

 

If you are suicidal please seek professional help. I am not a medical doctor or therapist. I suggest having a medical check up before using the RST. Give your doctor the scientific paper and ask for support. Do not go off medication without medical supervision. Try not to do the redirecting in the presence of an abusive partner. It would be better not to make major changes in work or relationships while you are in recovery. If your partner is supportive, explain that you may temporarily over-react and misdirect anger to him or her.

 

The eGroup is not interactive, but I like to hear how you are progressing with the RST and am here to support you. Reply to any post and it will reach me. I sometimes post your messages to the group, so please omit any identifying information. If you do not want your message posted please write DO NOT POST. You will find answers to most questions in the articles, in the FAQ, and by reading the Archives/Messages. When I made this discovery and developed the RST, I had no guidance other than my understanding of the simple biological concepts as explained in The Biology of Emotions article, so I know you can do the same if you study the articles. If you still have questions please contact me. I am happy to hear how it is going and support you in your journey to emotional health.

 

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Here are some ways to release anger while mentally redirecting to past abusers.

 

Write letters or email to past abusers, then tear up the letters or delete the email.

 

Pound on a bed with your fists and yell (muffle your voice if you have neighbors) Use a bataka bat or tennis racket to spare your fists.

 

Slam doors or cupboard doors

 

Yell, scream, shriek (into a pillow if necessary or in the shower)

 

Go to an airport & stand out near where the planes are revving their engines and getting ready to take off and yell there. No one can hear
you, you won't even be able to hear yourself.

 

Go to a cemetery and pound on a grave

 

Bang on a tree

 

If you are in public redirect the anger to past abusers quietly in your mind. Throw a crumpled ball hard into a waste basket if you are at work. Break a pencil in two. Jab a ball point pen through a piece of paper.

 

Mentally talk to past abusers, say to those parental voices still in your head, 'get out of my head.'

 

If you can't sleep or wake up with a scary dream, pound your fists on the bed and redirect anger to past abusers until you relax.

 

Play pinball(or if you can find it... there's another game at some arcades where these little guys pop up & you're supposed to whomp 'em
with a mallet as fast as you can) Go bowling and visualize the pins as past abusers. Find games like these on the Internet, e.g. the Elfbowl game. 

 

Weed the garden, the lawn, & anything else in sight

 

Stomp your feet when you walk   

 

Take a pair of jeans, hold it by the ankles, and whack the hell out of your bed.

 

Tear up a phone book (put work gloves on first to avoid paper cuts) Yell while you tear, if you can. Tear the pages out, tear 'em in half, throw 'em all over the room when you're done.

 

Do a dance of anger

 

Throw things, not random things; safe things like pillows at the wall or bed.

 

Kick a ball around the room

 

Kick a rock down the street

 

Run, ride a bike, or do other hard physical exercise.

 

Scrub the floor.
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Please save this Questionnaire, which is not a test, but is offered as a quide. The changes listed here become more and more pronounced, so if you keep track of the approximate dates when you notice these more and more, you will have an idea of your progress.

 

On what date did you begin the self-help measures.
Did you pound on a bed, or get physical in other ways, and redirect anger while thinking of past abusers
once a day   three times a day    more often
If you could not get physical did you mentally redirect anger toward past abusers
once a day        three times a day    more often
                         
What was your pulse rate on awakening (average over several days)when you began
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What is the approximate date when you noticed the following.

 

Anger when intense is easily redirected mentally toward past abusers.
Feel 'high' after releasing anger.
Have increased periods of depression after redirecting.
Have a heavy or drug-like sleep.
Often feel your heart pounding
More frequent headaches, sweating, or fever.
Pounded on the bed less often.
Mood swings less intense and less often.
Intense feelings of grief and crying.
If plans don't work out, can find something else to do.
Feel friendlier and more interested in people, even strangers.
Enjoy people but feel content alone.
Seldom feel guilty.
Seldom have resentments.
No longer think or act compulsively.
Feel sad, cry easily, but not depressed.
Work and study efficiently, concentration and memory good.
No longer feel driven to work or other activity.
Fall asleep more easily and no longer have a heavy drug-like sleep. Sleep is lighter but restful. Seldom have scary dreams.
Can stop thinking about something, i.e! . change the subject in your mind.
Can flash back to childhood events, even traumatic ones, without emotional pain.
Anger is not intense and is mostly about current situations.
Shoulders and posture are relaxed. Sometimes are clumsy.
No longer crave stimulants or junk food. You may still use these but find you don't get addicted.
Diet is mostly raw natural foods.
Seldom have a cold or other acute disorders.
Seldom feel your heart pounding.
Anxiety, fear, and depression are gone.
Stopped medication.
Stopped therapy.
On what date would you say you identified with-not all-but most of these.
Now what is your pulse on awakening (average over several days)

 

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Please contact me when you identify with most of these characteristics, set your subscription to NoMail/WebOnly, and join the non-anonymous interactive eGroup (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/depression-conquered), which will be a place to make new friends, and to create a community of emotionally healthy people.

 

Please do not ask me to unsubscribe you, but go to
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/depression-cause-cure where you subscribed. This menu will also let you change your subscription between digest and normal mode or set to NoMail/WebOnly.