and you're having a flashback, try to ground yourself with an object and it just won't work

then what?. what do people do

I have an entire cupboard of grounding objects and I'm struggling with certain memories lately and the grounding items just arn't cutting it

please help me... I feel stuck and frustrated these memories are rearing their ugly head..

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by raging vortex

and you're having a flashback, try to ground yourself with an object and it just won't work

then what?. what do people do

I have an entire cupboard of grounding objects and I'm struggling with certain memories lately and the grounding items just arn't cutting it

please help me... I feel stuck and frustrated these memories are rearing their ugly head..

I take a walk, row my canoe on the lake, pet and brush my dogs, drink a glass of lemonade, spend time reading or playing or other activities with my children and wife....

my point is I find what normally comforts and relaxes me and write them on a list that I keep posted on the fridge and a copy in my wallet, then i just work my way down the list... if its not something that is normally relaxing and comforting to me then its not going to be relaxing and comforting during crisis situations.

suggestion ... maybe during times when you are just watching tv or other wise ok sit down and write a list of things you like to do, what you like to eat, what you like for music.... what things normally give you a sense of fun, enjoyment, happiness, comfort. then when in crisis just work your way down the list. my own list is 485 things I enjoy doing, listening to, eating, watching, touching, smelling.....

I don’t know, I try to stay busy on a project so that I can shake it off and keep working...another reason to work 6 days a week.

[kecanoe]

Some things I use:

Sour candy
Strong mints
Rub ice cube on forearm
massage lotion into feet
Counting the number of items in a particular color in the room
Saying the alphabet backward
4 square breathing: breathe in for a count of 4, hold for a count of four, breathe out for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4
Concentrate on feeling the chair that I am sitting on, the floor under my feet, the temperature of the air

kecanoe, nice list.

can I ask the significance of the sour candy?

how does it help. I have lots of that in the house

Originally Posted by amandalouise

I take a walk, row my canoe on the lake, pet and brush my dogs, drink a glass of lemonade, spend time reading or playing or other activities with my children and wife....

my point is I find what normally comforts and relaxes me and write them on a list that I keep posted on the fridge and a copy in my wallet, then i just work my way down the list... if its not something that is normally relaxing and comforting to me then its not going to be relaxing and comforting during crisis situations.

suggestion ... maybe during times when you are just watching tv or other wise ok sit down and write a list of things you like to do, what you like to eat, what you like for music.... what things normally give you a sense of fun, enjoyment, happiness, comfort. then when in crisis just work your way down the list. my own list is 485 things I enjoy doing, listening to, eating, watching, touching, smelling.....

thank you amanda.

lists are good, I don't know how I missed that
I mean I did write a list of grounding items I could collect to put in my cupboard, but not so much a list of activities