#Coping techniques

[serenityquest]

[borderlinebastard]

what “feeling better” can look like after using a coping technique:

beng able to get up and walk around safely

thinking/talking more clearly and lessening of brain fog

a willingness to re-engage with a situation/emotion (even with some reluctance)

ability to do a task you did not want to/could not do before

being able to plan and problem solve (even if you still don’t know what to do)

improved concentration/focus

more understanding of a situation

calmer and slower thoughts (rather than scattered thoughts/rumination)

slower heartbeat and breathing

faster heartbeat, if doing exercise, and momentum that gives you a chance to do a task before you sit down again

being able to sleep easier

an ability to look at the big picture and not get lost in the details

feeling that you can “manage”

ability to control outbursts/destructive behaviour or pause before acting

managing to stop crying

I think people tend to assume their mood is what will improve after trying coping techniques, however, your mood is not the full extent of your mental health, and it doesn’t totally define whether or not a technique has helped you. When disorders cause symptoms like chronic emptiness and low mood, it’s worthwhile to pay attention to your body and your abilities to look for signs of improvement, which can then have an affect on your mood in the long term.

[zenithsys]

Do you feel, like, constantly overwhelmed? Unable to focus on tasks and self-care like showering? Have I got the tip for you

I recently got put on this method through a YouTube video recommended to me called the Sharp Ax method. Name doesn't matter, I'm gonna skip right to telling you what to do.

You have a notebook? Maybe one that you've horded and used once or twice before abandoning? Grab that shit. Get your favorite pen. At the top of the page you're going to write "Brain Dump". For like, 10-15 minutes, just sit there and write down every thought that comes to mind. Does your back hurt? Write it. Do you have to make breakfast? Write it.

But here's the thing: if there's something you need to do (paperwork, showering, shopping, etc) you're gonna write it like this.

"I want to shower." "I want to check the mailbox." "I want to do my laundry today."

For whatever reason, reframing things you need to do as things you want to do has helped me so immensely, and even when I can't finish all the things I want to finish, I still feel good for finishing the ones I was able to.

This stupidly simple journaling technique (which doesn't even feel like journalling to me) has caused me to go from being chronically overwhelmed to feeling like, even just for a little bit, everything is going to be okay.

[ebonyheartnet]

For anyone struggling this morning, here’s a couple coping techniques:

1.) Physiological sigh: take a slow, deep breath in through the nose, then a short, sharp breath through the nose. Exhale slowly.

Key points: You don’t want to fully fill the lungs with that first breath. Just get most of the way there before that short & sharp breath.

2.) Pattern breathing: put one palm face up and place your other hand’s pointer finger at the base of your thumb. As you slowly grace up to the tip of your thumb, breathe in. Pause at the tip, then slowly trace down, to the base of your pointer finger, as you exhale. Pause again at the base of your pointer finger, then repeat for the rest of the hand.

Key points: Due to the extra stimulus, this is especially good for anyone who struggles with focusing. I’ve also used a paintbrush/cotton swab dipped in cold water, which also helped a lot. I’m also including the visual I put together.

3.) Changing your body temperature: A warm/cold bath/shower, ice water/an ice pack to the face, etc.

Key points: Do not do this one if you have a heart condition. Name of the game is to change your body’s chemistry to calm down extreme emotions.

4.) Chew or drink something: Bonus points if it has a strong taste, it’s cold, or a little tough. This will give you something to focus on and make it slightly easier to ground.

Key points: Your body can either have a panic attack or it can make spit. It’s not really able to run the chemistry for both mechanisms at the same time.

(Also, I’m broke af, so like, please blaze this traditionally)

[schizopositivity]

Hey, could I ask what coping skills you use to help with hallucinations and such?

I’m not diagnosed with anything yet so I’m not on any meds. And my coping skills aren’t very good.

I usually just use music and try to ignore things to the best of my ability. That helps with a lot of the more usual auditory hallucinations. Walls and floors moving are…hard. But I typically just reach out to feel them (and hope I’m not having tactile hallucinations too and don’t feel that move)

But things like feeling bugs on my skin. Or hearing disturbing things (screaming, loud extremely negative internal voices / intrusive thoughts, etc) I don’t really know how to deal with? And I was wondering you’d have any tips? The internet isn’t very helpful and I was wondering if someone else who experiences this stuff too might have some better suggestions!

Thanks!

My biggest coping skills are distracting myself from the hallucinations, and trying to ease my emotional reactions to them.

Music is great, but it can't really drown out the auditory hallucinations. In my experience listening to a YouTube video, watching a show/movie, listening to an audiobook or talking to someone is more helpful. These things require my attention, and for me to think about what I'm hearing, that way I'm not focusing on or thinking about the hallucinations.

I am a fan of the "putting your hands on the walls to feel that they are actually steady" trick. I've talked about it a long time ago on this blog, since I have experienced moving walls and floors a lot. I think it also is a very grounding experience. If you are hallucinating it can be very helpful to use a fidget toy or something else that is pleasing to touch (dry rice, sand, rocks, soft blankets, etc). It shifts your focus to something that is real, that you can feel and be comforted by.

For the other, maybe more distressing hallucinations, it can be very helpful to distract yourself. Consciously shifting your focus away from the hallucinations and onto something you enjoy. This can be a hobby like drawing or crocheting. Or something relaxing like watching your favorite TV show, or going on a walk. This won't actually stop the hallucinations themselves, but it will keep you engaged with something else, which can help you ignore the hallucinations.

In my experience, spending a lot of time focusing on and thinking about the hallucinations can make things worse (as in feel more severe, not change the amount of hallucinations). Luckily I have spent years coping with the hallucinations, to the point where now I can experience them and immediately move on, which is way less stressful for me. And that was a skill I learned after a lot of practice, and I'm glad I did. It won't be easy at first, but I do believe that it is possible to eventually ignore hallucinations to the point that they are just mildly annoying.

Also since you aren't getting treatment for the root of the issue (the hallucinations), the best thing you can do is try and treat your emotional reaction to them at home. This can be any self care activity that works for you. This will be personalized to you but it can be things like cuddling your pet, taking a bath, reading a book, applying makeup, baking your favorite sweets, making a cup of tea, calling a friend, etc. If you want more ideas you can turn to the internet but look for "self care ideas" or "ways to destress at home". Because hallucinations can be very distressing, and it's important to care for yourself during and after the experience. These things can overlap with the distraction techniques, either way it's getting your mind off of the hallucinations and onto things you enjoy.

I hope you find a way to make the hallucinations more manageable, and take care of yourself. Your comfort is the most important thing when it comes to hallucinations. It is always worth it to invest your time into self care and relaxation.

[ineffectualdemon]

When in doubt make mushrooms

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

Sometimes, I need to un-sand my -wich.

I understand that a sandwich is meant to be "the main protein of a meal between two layers of bread in a meal, such that it can be eaten with one hand while playing cards."

But sometimes, the filling of a sandwich is too sloppy, saucy, or otherwise Just Too Much to be held in the hand.

In which case (in 'wich' case?), I put the filling in a bowl with extra sauce, tear up the bread into bite-sized pieces (dense, chewy bread is best), warm it up in the microwave for about a minute, and eat it like a salad.

[phoenix-positivity]

I will share some helpful things that I use to deal with my trauma, dissociation and flashbacks.

For me it helps to recite what year it is, what the date is, what location I am at, what my name is, what my age is, which other people may or may not be around me, and to keep repeating no harm is currently being done to me. It also helps to repeat reasons as for what proof I have that it isn't or can't easily happen. Such as: I have my phone in my hand to call the police if something happens now. or: my door is locked and I live in a different house and they don't know my address. I usually tend to hold my own hand and squeeze it reassuringly, pet it or even go as far as to hug myself or gently tap the side of my thighs when walking. I try to sort of gently brush my hair sometimes while saying reassuring things to myself. Usually it's just 'I'm safe, nothing bad is happening' over and over again.

I also am in the process of making bracelets and key chains that have the current year on it and 'you are safe, just breathe' on them. so that I can look at them if I have a flashback outside of my house.

Sometimes when I'm really afraid I just curl up hugging my plushie and I imagine a character from my favourite show shows up in the flashback to save me and fight the abuser/make them not be a danger to me anymore. Or take me away to a safe place where I'm protected. Sometimes it helps to imagine revenge, but most of the time the focus is safety. So I will imagine my abuser's hands are tied up, or that I lock him behind a door in a different room. I then imagine myself being comforted. I (or the character) sort of comfort my younger self if that makes any sense.

Grounding techniques help you come to the present reality instead of floating away to your past memories. The most common one is the 5,4,3,2,1 method. Say to yourself out loud or inside your thoughts 5 things that you can hear around you, 4 things you can see, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you can smell and one thing you can taste. You can also name more of each.

You can also pick something up near you and focus on the texture of it, the weight it has, whether it's hot or cold to the touch, the colour, the sound it might make as you let it touch something else. Or if you have something edible around you you can try and really focus on the textures and the taste of it. (helpful things would be menthol gum or something spicy/sour as this will really sort of jolt you out of a dissociated state. but it can also be something really sweet or a fruit with a strong smell such as oranges. In the case of an orange you could also focus on how to peel it and focus on the different textures of that) You can also do this holding a piece of ice and focus on it melting.

If you need a distracting mental exercise you can try counting backwards from 100 to zero subtracting by a number such as 3 or 7. You can also try listing things from a certain category from a to z. So book titles or animals or even just fruits.

There's also the box breathing exercise. It's probably best to google that one rather than I try and explain it. There's also the 4-7-8 breathing technique. And a technique called the butterfly hug.

Also a more vulnerable coping technique that touches on body memories. Is I put on multiple layers of clothes. I tend to do this especially if I have to go to bed. I will put on 3 layers of underwear or sometimes even like a period pad. Then tight fitting leggings or something. For me it helps that I can feel the fabric is covering me tightly against my body. I need that barrier to be there to give me a sense of protection. It really helps when I feel 'exposed'. I can also just wear double underwear on bad days when I go work because nobody can see it but it gives me an extra sense of safety. I tend to wear boxers so it covers more of my skin.

I also have put together a 'grounding box' which is full of distracting and sensory stimulating things. There's a book in it where I have to connect the dots to create pictures. There's some comfort pictures and items in it that make me feel safe (such as my favourite animals and my favourite colours). There's a lot of fidget and stim toys in it that make me use my tactile senses (poppits, infinity cubes, slime, soft things) but also my visual (things with falling glitter, lights) or my hearing. I especially use this one trick. It requires 'Baoding balls'. I discovered that the ringing/chime sound they make has me focus on it in such a specific way that it really grounds me, or at least calms me down. I shake one ball next to my right ear and the other next to my left ear and kinda alternate between them. (I think I was probably inspired by EMDR to do this) The fact I have to move my hand in a specific way to make the actual sound happen, combined with it sort of vibrating and echoing and fading and being so close to my ear, as well as it alternating between both sides of my body has me focus on it in such a way that it calms me down from flashbacks a lot and brings me back to my room. I also use scented candles and I try to buy the ones that have a mixed scent so that I have to focus on trying to figure out what I'm actually smelling. so for example buying 'tropical sunset' and then it's up to me to smell the individual pineapple, coconut, lemon, etc.

I also express a lot of emotion in art such as poetry/singing or drawing/painting. I tend to sing in my shower and car really loudly because it feels like a private space for me. I also used to do an exercise in the shower where I washed every part of my body by really focusing on it and then thanking it. So I started either at the top or bottom and very gently massaging it with soap as I thanked it for doing what it did for me. (like, thanks toes for making me able to stand upright, or thanks hair for protecting me from sunburn on my scalp)

I also express a lot of emotion by moving my body to music and really listening to the lyrics. Dancing just by yourself can really express emotions.

I also have a pet dog that I can lie next to. I will put my head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat/breathing as well as pet him. Feeling a warm comforting presence helps with feeling safer. He is not a service dog but I find that outside when I walk him he also helps guide me the right directions as he usually follows the same roads and he ends up bringing me home when I'm dissociated. I also feel safer with him next to me when I walk outside.

This is not by any means all of my coping techniques but it's a large sum of it. They're likely my most frequently used ones.

[schizodiaries]

super easy self-care tips

There are plenty of self-care articles online, but I wanted to focus on easier and simpler self-care methods for mentally ill people like me with low energy/motivation or who have a hard time managing daily life.

Drink some tea — Tea can not only soothe you, it can hydrate you as well. I personally like teas that help reduce anxiety like chamomile tea, lavender tea, or rose tea.

Cuddle a stuffed animal — Even if you’re an adult, a stuffed animal can be great for your mental well-being. They can help ease loneliness, provide comfort, and heal your inner child.

Chair yoga — Don’t let the idea of yoga scare you, you can do it while sitting! There are many mental health benefits to yoga, such as relieving stress and improving focus. Search “chair yoga” on YouTube for some guided yoga exercises.

Sit in sunlight — You can do this outside or indoors next to a window. A few minutes of basking in sunlight helps boost your mood.

Step on grass — I know “touch grass” is often used as a snarky comeback, but seriously, feeling the grass beneath your feet can release endorphins. If you find this gross or don’t like the sensation, you can try stepping on a soft rug instead.

Pet an animal — Do you own any pets? Running your hands through their fur can lower stress and anxiety, and it also makes for a good grounding exercise.

Use hand sanitizer — It’s easy to neglect hygiene when you’re in a rut. But it’s important to keep our hands clean to reduce the spread of germs. Use some hand sanitizer, they’re less harsh on your hands than soap and water, and they smell nice.

Clean up your inbox — Unsubscribe to any mailing lists you’re not interested in, and delete any old emails you no longer need. Even just five minutes of cleaning up your inbox will take a weight off your shoulders.

Use a rocking chair — If you own a rocking chair, using one can release endorphins that promote relaxation, improve sleep, and boost your mood. They’re also good for stimming.

Doodle — You don’t have to be an artist to doodle. You can doodle anything from stick figures to scribbly lines. Doodling can help reduce stress and regulate emotions, and you might even make something you like!

Take photos — Try to take regular photos of yourself, friends/family, pets, food, surroundings, anything special to you. That way you can stop to appreciate life and have fond memories to look back on.

Aromatherapy — If you own a diffuser, you can use essential oils to promote relaxation and manage anxiety. You can also mix them with lotion or a carrier oil and massage it on your skin for extra relaxation.

Breathing exercises — When your stress or anxiety levels are high, even just one minute of deep and steady breathing can help keep those levels under control.

[viktheviking1]

Y'ALL, I'VE CRACKED THE CODE

For yeaaaaarrsss, I've gotten into an endless loop whenever I have to go to school or work, where I don't get ready to go, start hating on myself for being "lazy", and then procrastinate getting ready even more and end up late to everything.

And for years, I've had emergency anxiety meds, but only took them during panic attacks or when social anxiety spiked. Basically only if I could feel my heart racing and unnecessary adrenaline kicking in.

But dude, taking them while stuck in the loop of "lazy", has helped me so much!

Will this work for you? I don't know. You have a different body, and maybe you don't have anxiety meds, or have a different kind to mine. Maybe you are hesitant to take yours because it's slightly addictive. Maybe you're hesitant to take yours because of internalized stigma or you want to be able to not lean on it as a crutch.

I don't know what to tell ya for the first one, but let me ask you this.

Do you look at people who use crutches and think "they should be able to walk without that". NO! OF COURSE NOT!

Use your crutch, use your meds. They're there for a reason. They're there to help you.

[papermint-airplane]

I haven't had an intrusive thought that has caused actual panic in a long time. I've gotten really good at facing my intrusive thoughts and being like "you're an intrusive thought and I'd like you to go ahead and shut the fuck up". That sounds unhinged af but that's an actual legitimate strategy that therapists tell people with OCD and anxiety (like me) to use. And it works well after a certain point (getting to that point is its own battle though). Now I can shut them down fairly quickly so they don't cause as much distress as they used to.

Sometimes, though, some of them slip through my defenses and make me have A Very Bad Time™. This is one of those times.

Hit the cut if you're interested in how I combat these.

Last night, as I was laying in my bed trying to sleep, my OCDemon was like, "I'm going to ruin this bitch's whole life". I knew, I just knew that a car or low flying plane or something was going to crash through my bedroom window and game-end me right then and there. That is extremely unlikely to happen for multiple reasons I don't think I even need to enumerate to people whose brains don't hate them, but I was so sure it was going to happen and I was going to die.

I fought it the way I've been taught. Facts and logic, baby. "My bedroom does not face the road". Check. "In order for a plane to hit my house, they'd have to be flying so low that I would hear it coming and have time to respond in some way". Check. "I need to sleep. I have work tomorrow and there's nowhere else for me to sleep. I have to be here." Check.

It didn't work right away. It never does. I had to keep going over and over it in my head while forcing my body to lie still. At this point, the fight or flight mode had already kicked in. I was shaking, feeling irritable, feeling scared, heart beating super fast and skipping beats, sweating, all your classic physical symptoms. I wanted to get up and get as far away from that bed as I could, but I held myself down. I kept repeating the facts. "You're not in any danger. Nothing is coming through that window."

Eventually, I relaxed enough to sleep but it must have been fitful. I don't remember anything because I was zonked out but I woke up to my sheets and pillows halfway on the floor so I must have thrashed around like a dying fish all night.

I am exhausted and I'm still feeling a heightened sense of anxiety, but it's way more manageable right now. I just keep wanting to check the news which is unfortunately an OCD compulsion of mine whenever I'm feeling anxious because I guess my brain wants a reason to be anxious. Wouldn't ya know it, this shitty world loves to give it those reasons. Lucky me. I am fighting it as much as I can. My rule is no checking more than twice a day (I will literally do it hundreds of times during a bad flareup) and if it gets too bad, I have to text my therapist. I'd rather not bother him off-hours so this means I'm fighting my existential dread with my fear of being a nuisance lmao.

This is rough and anyone else going through this, I am right there with you. It sucks not being able to trust your own thoughts. It sucks having to fight your own body. If I had a cure, we'd all be fucking cured right now. But all I have is an arsenal of techniques that work just barely at best and not at all at worst. All you can do is keep fighting.

I need a nap.

[serenityquest]

[entiretyofa]

Coping with anhedonia: meditation/relaxation

(This is part 1 of many for a master-post about coping suggestions for anhedonia and depression. @techniic0l0r 🖤 I hope this helps)

I know it’s cliche but I’d be remiss to not talk about meditation in this context.

Meditation has proven benefits for your mental health. It helps regulate your nervous system, meaning it will help regulate your emotions and in turn calm anxieties and abate depression. The idea is if it reduces your depression (the over-arching problem that caused the anhedonia) it should reduce your anhedonia as well.

In particular, I’ve found vedic meditation (repeating a mantra of a meaningless word or sound quietly in your head) works wonders for self-soothing and emotion regulation. Practicing Vedic meditation has genuinely given me such peace and connected me with my intrinsic love and compassion for life. It works better the more you do it, so set a timer for 15-20 mins and try that for a few days to see if it helps you.

There’s also a bunch of soothing guided meditations on YouTube specifically for depression (and anxiety).

If meditation isn’t for you, see if there’s some activity you can think of that would be relaxing and do that thing.

Ideas for relaxing activities:

Yoga

Get out in nature

Listen to soundscapes or white noise of your choice

Read a book

Knit/crochet/sew/cross-stitch/craft while watching something

Video games can be relaxing

Vent journal

Take a hot bath or hot shower (I mean like as hot as you can take it, saunas have been shown to help reduce inflammation & depression bc physiologically depression correlates with inflammation in the body)

Massage your neck

Deep breathing exercises

Progressive muscle relaxation

Try vagus nerve exercises if you’re open to that (like this one https://youtu.be/eFV0FfMc_uo?si=LlkQ5cNCX-ZNYwm_ essentially it’s cradling the back of your head in your hands and moving your eyes to the right for about 20-30s then yawn/sigh and look to the left until you naturally yawn/sigh, might sound weird but it’s backed by science and quickly calms/soothes distressed emotions)

Give or receive a tight hug from someone or hug your pet if they don’t mind hugs (the longer the hug the better)

Deep pressure: weighted blanket, tight hug ofc, lay on the floor (I’ve heard some people rag on this one, but it actually helps regulate your system by giving deep pressure)

Make a hot drink, curl up on the couch with a warm blanket, and put on a soothing show

These are just suggestions for things that might help soothe you, if it isn’t something that will soothe you, you don’t have to try it. If any of these suggestions are things you feel anhedonic about, obviously that one may not be a good one for you to try. This is meant to be a suggestion list for things you maybe haven’t tried yet that at least might bring some relief to the depression and feelings of distress.

[rainytownturtle]

things???

one of my favorite things to do when I start getting overwhelmed or overstimulated or underestimated: anyways when something feels off and everything is becoming too much; is to try and deprive my senses as much as possible (low light, headphones, door closed) and put a comfortable hoodie or just wrap myself in a safe material (blanket; could be weighted) and just try and recharge. Put on a really good stim song with a lot of vocals and magical musical elements and just press the headphones against my ears to more fully submerge in the music; become the notes and waves and colors... pure ecstasy.

[vo1d3dst4r]

10/29/2024 Weekly Coping Techniques To Practice:

- actually say out loud my affirmations

- affirm myself by saying phrases such as the following: “it’s going to be okay, (name)” “in the whole picture of your life, this is a small blip on the radar”

- notice which state of mind I’m in

- physically say which state of mind I’m in. for example, “(name), you’re in emotional state of mind right now”

- ask myself how I can bring myself back to wise mind, then follow through with my plan

- and most importantly, breathe.