Emotional Brain Techniques for Prevention of STS

Laurel Mellin, PhDAssociate Clinical Professor of Family and Community Medicine, UCSF

Emotional Processing Options

**Mitrovic et al (2010) Hypothesis

EMOTIONS SUPPRESSED

Strategies: Cognitive Regulation, Active Coping, Extinction, and Distraction

• Promotes dysregulation• Decreases emotional awareness• Impedes affect labeling• Suppresses positive emotions• Allostatic circuit reconsolidation blocked.

Emotional Processing Options

**Mitrovic et al (2010) Hypothesis

EMOTIONS EFFECTIVELY EXPRESSED

Strategies: Brain-state based self-regulation

• Promotes regulation• Increases emotional awareness• Promotes affect labeling• Accesses positive emotions• Allostatic circuit reconsolidation.

Brain State-Based Emotional Expression INDICATORS

1 Wordless 2 Affect Labeling

Feel feelings

3 Express emotions

4 No or maladaptiveemotional expression

5 No or maladaptiveemotional expression

EMOTIONAL BRAIN TOOL

• Feel elevated emotions.

• Identify feelings and needs.

• Express negative then positive feelings.

• Internal emotional expression and expectation revision.

• Internal repetitive message to switch to 4 state.