[PurpleFlyingMonkeys]

It's been a while since I needed to use grounding skills. Last night I kept fading out (as I look at it) and needed to use grounding skills pretty frequently for one night. It's strange, no normal stress. Just the same ol but this morning as well I have been having trouble staying out here...

I know there are other threads as well as many chats but I figured I could ask here any tips or ideas? Always good to share since one may not work for everyone but could work for one who hasn't found one that works (it makes sense to me just not anyone else probably... sorry)

Anyways, the one I have been using in the past 24 hours, the only one I remember is something like... You look around you and say 5 things you see out loud. Then you Say 4 things out loud you can hear, 3 things you can feel, 2 things you can smell and one thing you can taste. It's worked but the more I have to use it the longer it takes to work.

Anyone else have any grounding skills they would like to share? Any comments would be greatly appreciated

Sorry to hear this Purple. You have the basics down pretty good. Something triggered you and whatever it is (you may never know) is intent on hanging around.

Here are some other things I do that are a bit more drastic. I put a rubberband on my wrist and snap it. I put an orange in the freezer and take it out and hold it in my hand, or ice cubes will work just as well. I wrap myself in a blanket (like a newborn baby) and rock myself.

I love to do collages. I get old National Geographic magazines and tear out pictures that resemble an emotion I "may be feeling but am not aware I am feeling" and paste it on poster board or anywhere will be fine. Then step back and take a look at it. Sometimes I have to look at it for awhile to start to see the message my emotions are trying to tell me.

Once you feel you are starting to dissociate, distract yourself or redirect your energies. Get up and move out of the room that you were experiencing these feelings too.

Can you increase any of your anti-anxiety meds (safely) or call a prescribing doc to discuss what is happening to you?

Do you feel safe now, or do you feel you need to get to an emergency hospital due to the increasing frequency of dissociation. Can you call anyone to come and sit with you?

Glad you are sharing this with us Purple. I am hopeful some of the ideas we are discussing will help. Keep us posted. Will be thinking of you today

[Korin]

I’ve used the rubber band trick and it works. I also count fast to myself 5,10,15,20,25,30 etc. But like you said we get too used to some techniques and need new ones. The one that works best for me just now is to read a list of positive one-liners over and over to myself.

Here is an example.

Rise Above The Drama

Look At Life From The Inside Out

Most Of What Seems Serious Isn't

Your Worst Battles Are With Yourself

The Best Guidelines Are In Your Head

You Are The Architect Of Your Own Life

Trust Your Bodies Ability To Heal Itself

Stay Strong And Stay Above The Battles

Away With Hang Ups And Half Measures

Continue To Carve Your Own Unique Path

Act As If You Are In Control Until You Are

You Have The Ability To Re-Shape Your Life

There Is Nothing But Thinking Makes It So

Take A Closer Look At How Things Really Are

Deal Positively With Unfamiliar Feelings

[PurpleFlyingMonkeys]

Thank you both for your comments. I will try these and hopefully they will work. I can't go to the hospital though and unfortunately can't go to the pdoc either. I'm a single mom with no car and no medical insurance as well as her father is in a custody war with me right now and he is one of the abusers so atm I'm on my own But I don't look at it negatively really, it's giving me time to learn on my own and with help from others since I've spent nearly 15 years in pdocs offices I think maybe it means it's time to learn to cope on my own... With the help of pc of course

[Porcelain_doll_2004]

Thanks for the suggestions we will be trying some of them.

[Gr3tta]

We would like to suggest this. We sometimes put our location into a long loop, then do it over and over if need be. Sometimes doesn't work as well, but sometimes works great. Kind of a variation on naming things in the room. (this is an example, NOT our actual location) like this: We are on the earth. We are in the United States. We are in Florida. We are in Miami. We are in the Northeast District. We are on Sunny street. We are in house number 1234. We are in the living room. We are sitting on the chair. The chair is sitting on the carpet. The carpet is sitting on the subflooring. The subflooring is sitting on the foundation. The foundation is sitting on the Earth. We are on the Earth. and so forth. Hope you are feeling better. ~Ivy and Julia.