Stabilisation skills

[Teasel]

Hiya,

What stabilisation skills do you have?

How did you learn them? Eg from a therapist or book or did you figure out what worked for you?

Do you still need to use some or all of em?

Interested to know what you all do - thanks

 

[J'qel]

I learned how to step back and check to see if what I'm feeling is really accurate or overblown because of my illness. Granted it only works in milder situations, but it does help. A therapist taught me.

I also read, write, draw, play games and other things that allow me to express my emotions constructively. That's just something I have done as long as I remember. Recently I've picked up cooking to add to the list.

 

[Willi]

I am using fiber arts --knitting, felting--, journaling, writing. I am also studying Somatic Experiencing and other trauma-release related work.
More specifically, today, as I was nearly paralyzed with fear of not knowing what my next step should be, I remembered my own advice which is, action (baby steps, micro-movement) is a sure antidote to stuckness.

 

[Willi]

I am using fiber arts --knitting, felting--, journaling, writing. I am also studying Somatic Experiencing...

@J'qel I forgot to add in cooking! : ) The prepping, the planning, the doing, especially if left in peace to do it...it's very, very helpful.

 

[J'qel]

Ditto-I shoo people out of my kitchen when I cook...because it's definitely *MY* kitchen when something's being made. :P

Also the being able to make something delicious and share it and have people enjoy it fills a sense of accomplishment as well as being an ego boost when folks remark about how much they enjoyed it. :)

..and of course you get to eat something home cooked and (relatively) healthy.

 

[Leighlee87]

I've learned most everything from therapy. More accurately, I've learned to allow myself the permission to take as much time as needed to recoup. I've learned self-care and what that looks like for me. I've learned that it's okay not to do it all right now, and to take the time to heal. Sometimes that's curling up in bed, reading a book, watching a movie, drawing, listening to music, etc. and not feeling guilty because I'm not being "productive" with my time.

 

[Teasel]

Thanks all. Kind of seems to be themes of mindfulness, pleasurable activities, self care & compassion, does that sound about right?

Posted cause feel a bit muddle headed about what stabilisation skills are!

 

[Teasel]

Been pondering about this some more.
And it keeps going through my mind that coping techniques for trauma are (sort of) to live your life anyway?
Does that sound right?

 

[Leighlee87]

Yes and no, maybe that's further into things, like self-care--the point where you are a bit more stabilized and trying to keep yourself in balance when things begin to get really rocky. Stabilization at the beginning or when things are at their very worst, honestly, for me couldn't be done on my own. It involved reaching out for help, it involved medication, it involved learning what my triggers where, recognizing when anxiety was sneaking up on me and what tools I could use in the moment to bring it back down. I learned to pay attention to my thought patterns and was challenged by my therapist on many of them.

100% at my very worst, when I needed stabilization I had to cling to someone else to walk me through it. I would have never, ever been able to do it on my own. Find an arsenal of the themes stated above and use them, they will help. Put life on hold the best you can while you get your head above water, but do not shut yourself out from the world because it will cause you to sink further. So, for example. If you can, cut down work hours, extra commitments that cause stress, ignore the messy house, etc. But make sure you go for walks, go get coffee with friends even if you don't want to, etc.

I'll attach a link, the beginning portion helped explain why clients really can't do the stabilization for themselves on the onset. The first couple paragraphs are really helpful in understanding that. The rest of the article might not be that useful. http://www.janinafisher.com/pdfs/stabilize.pdf

 

[Teasel]

Really helpful @leigh6873 thanks.

I've been reading the article today too, also very helpful.

I think the info's percolating so to speak, will continue to ponder on this and come back to it
:cool:

 

[Teasel]

Looking at this again.
From the article linked above

"The message for the patient is a simple one: no recovery from trauma is possible without attending to issues of
Safety,
Care for the self,
Reparative connections to other human beings, and
A renewed faith in the universe.
The therapist's job is not just to be a witness to this process but to teach the patient how."

Reminds me of reading Judith L Herman who lists necessary stages of healing - loosely:
Safety
Grieving the losses
Re connecting to community

So anyway I'm still trying to get stabilisation skills clear in my mind.

They would be things like
Establishing safety
No longer using self destructive coping mechanisms
Medication where suitable
Any more????

I guess self care is an important part of stabilisation skills, maybe that comes after safety and stopping self destructiveness?

 

[The Albatross]

"I guess self care is an important part of stabilisation skills, maybe that comes after safety and stopping self destructiveness?"

Not for me they weren't.. self care and providing for the body, re connecting to it and attending to it's/my needs was actually first.

Added because apparently I can't spit it out at one time today...
It was endeavoring to do the self care things, and patiently, persistently, practicing those things with perseverance (and prayer for those so inclined) that created a foundation to curb and then eliminate the self destructive behaviors. It has to be a behavior... consistent, not a band aid or a habit.