[rep97]

I have heard about grounding techniques or bringing yourself to present techniques but I don't know exactly how to do them. Someone here pointed me to a post on this forum but the link inside is down. Can point me to a direction of a link or something to explain the grounding techniques to bringing to present. I struggle with jittery feelings, hyper vigilance(ALOT), panic attacks and depression and on and on.. so it would be good to add some coping techniques for now. thx

[Open Eyes]

Heres one link I found, but there are several of them if you look up Coping techniques for PTSD symptoms.

Coping with Traumatic Stress Reactions - NATIONAL CENTER for PTSD

(((rep97)), I struggled so much for a while, so I know how challenging it can be.

One day I had all I could do to just get to my therapist's office and by the time I got there I was so bad with "anxiety".

Well, he told me to "observe' how I felt and how my body felt and then he told me to "close my eyes". He told me to picture a big black board like the ones I saw in school. He told me to look for a shelf and pick up a piece of chalk and then write the number 10 on the chalk board. He told me to look on the shelf and pick up an eraser and slowly erase the number 10 and write the number 9 and then erase that too and he talked me down until I had erased the number 1. Then he had me open my eyes and I did "feel better" and "more calm". He explained to me that what I had done was "distract my brain into doing something calm and that signaled my brain to stop producing cortisol which is why we get so full of anxiety and often unknowingly make it worse by feeding into it, rather then doing something "CALM" so we stop producing it and begin to relax.

You can use that technique yourself when you are struggling, you can even decide to draw pictures on the chalk board too. It is all about sending your brain messages that say, "no emergency or need to keep producing cortisol" to get ready for flight or fight.

OE

[skeksi]

This 5 Senses technique is my go-to grounding. You put your feet on the floor, take slow breaths, and tune in to what you are experiencing through all your senses. I do it aloud, if I'm alone (or in T).

[likewater]

I put my feet on the floor also, feel gravity working to pull my bottom into my chair, and take deep,breaths and listen for at least 2 sounds and then i look for 3 objects that are green, 3 that are blue and 3 that are red.(but you can choose any colors) also if someone is with me, we can toss a back and forth or just pass an object like a stuffed animal back and forth and i remind myself it is 2013 and i'm 40 yrs old(as most of my trauma happened childhood.

[Maranara]

When you notice the panic/anxiety setting in, as soon as you can, close your eyes and put all of your concentration on your breathing. Notice how your chest expands and contracts, the feel of it in and out of your nostrils, etc. When your thoughts start straying from your breath, bring it back. Do this for 20-30 seconds. It has made a world of difference for me. It is the basis for meditation.

[splitimage]

Do what's called box breathing. Inhale slowly and deeply to a count of 4, hold it for a count of 4, exhale slowly and deeply to a count of 6, hold your lungs empty for a count of 4. Repeat. Ideally you should do this 25 times, and it always calms me right down. I do it in bed every night to help me fall asleep.

splitimage