Paul Gilbert the founder of compassion focused therapy, suggests that you have three emotion regulation systems. A threat system that focusses on threat detection and self-protection, a drive system that focuses on achievement and resource acquisition and a soothing system that focuses on positive feelings of caring, kindness and safety.

🔵 CHAPTERS

0:00 Introducing the three systems
0:37 The threat system
2:11 The drive system
2:54 The soothing system
4:17 Unbalanced systems example one
5:53 Unbalanced systems example two
7:27 How to self-soothe

🔵 BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

☐ The Compassionate Mind By Paul Gilbert. https://amzn.to/406R5Ad
☐ The Compassionate Mind Workbook by Chris Irons and Elaine Beaumont.
https://amzn.to/3RiZ6ha
☐ Compassion Focused Therapy for Dummies by Mary Welford. https://amzn.to/3HjHsoZ
☐ Mindful Compassion by Paul Gilbert and Choden. https://amzn.to/3wChWqa
☐ Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World by Mark Williams and Danny Penman. https://amzn.to/3Dm6cvW

🔵 THE THREAT SYSTEM

The threat system is activated by threat and danger. The threat system is actually your ‘default setting’ so it will over-rule both the drive and soothing systems. The threat system has been fined tuned over thousands of years of evolution and has evolved to detect threats quickly and mobilise a response that’s geared towards survival. Over much of our evolution the major threats were predators but nowadays human being have few predators but the threat system can be triggered by emotional and social threats. For example, signals that someone is judging you, feelings of rejection, isolation, criticism and exclusion.

🔵 THE DRIVE SYSTEM

The function of this system is to motivate and encourage you to seek out resources for yourself and for those you love and care about such as food, shelter, work, qualifications and even social position. The drive system is active and centres around striving, achieving and consuming. When you achieve these resources the reward is pleasurable because dopamine is released in your brain. The emotions connected with the drive system include excitement, anticipation and joy.

🔵 THE SOOTHING SYSTEM

The soothing system is a completely different to the threat and drive systems. This is the capacity for feeling soothed, to feel at peace, to feel connected with others and to feel content. Emotions connected to the soothing system are warmth, calmness, contentment and a sense of well-being. Your threat and drive emotions are essential for your survival and reproduction but if you’re constantly on the move, pursuing, fighting or running away you would soon exhaust yourself so the soothing system enables you to slow down rest and recuperate. This system is less important for immediate survival but very important for longer term survival. Mammals can only survive when they are able to receive care, give care and form social bonds. Evolution has shaped the soothing system to be highly sensitive to signals of kindness, care and affection from others. It taps into the hormone oxytocin which is sometimes known as the ‘cuddle hormone’ or the ‘love hormone’ because it’s released when people snuggle up or bond socially.

🔵 WATCH NEXT

☐ The safe place exercise:    • The Breathing Space With Kindness Med...  
☐ Kindness to self exercise:    • Kindness to Self Mindfulness Meditati...  
☐ Soothing rhythm breathing:    • Soothing Rhythm Breathing - Compassio...  

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🔵 ABOUT TERESA LEWIS

Teresa Lewis is the founder and Director of Lewis Psychology and a Senior Accredited psychotherapist with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP Snr. Accred). Qualified in 1995, Teresa has been providing counselling and psychotherapy treatment for nearly 30 years. Teresa holds a masters degree in counselling and psychotherapy and is a qualified EMDR Practitioner having completed training accredited with EMDR Europe. Teresa is also a qualified adult educator and an accredited Mindfulness teacher As a recognised expert in her field Teresa is frequently asked to conduct editorial reviews and endorse counselling and psychotherapy books for international publishing houses.

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