What's your weirdest ptsd tip?

[Swift]

Hey, so I thought I'd start a thread about the strangest stuff that helps us with PTSD.
My tip is: mints. They head off dissociation, for me, and keep me in the here-and-now. I can explain that with neuroscience, but I won't, on this thread.
I was wondering if anyone else had anything similar?
(Please no snark at each other)

 

[ILoveLife]

Lotion on my legs. Ahah

 

[somerandomguy]

After you get where you're going, take off your shoes and your socks then walk around on the rug barefoot and make fists with your toes.

Wait .. that's from the movie Die Hard. It's still pretty good advice though!

For real: Stuffed animals/plushies can be really, really helpful in multiple ways.

 

[Juls33]

Hey, so I thought I'd start a thread about the strangest stuff that helps us with PTSD.
My tip is: mints...

I actually bought Hamsters when I was at my worst a few years back. They surprisingly really helped until they started multiplying like crazy and I was stuck with about 25 hamsters. After giving most away to kids, I eventually got a rescue dog and he is totally my therapy animal.

 

[frogthroat]

Terrible b-movies with violence that is so over the top with such shitty acting, makeup, and special effects you can't help but laugh.

 

[Teasel]

Talking about something mundane for a couple minutes really calms me down quckly. In T I often talk about what I saw on TV recently, or a recipe I made - just for one or two minutes when I need to calm back down. Works ever so well.
Language learning apps are pretty good too when I'm on my own.

 

[Hopeforlife]

I find eating anything spicy or strong. Vinegar, anything with chilli etc. Also when I get home every day I find taking off my shoes and socks and walking around the house in the cold tiled floors is so good and helps me feel.

 

[Emotional girl]

Hugging my favourite cushion which for me at the moment is like a protective barrier for me.
Mints are good for me as well especially when I am feeling panicky.

 

[EveHarrington]

I think if we label our coping skills as “weird” we are inducing shame on ourselves when we shouldn’t be.

 

[somerandomguy]

@EveHarrington - point taken. But you don't think some of the things we do are totally weird though sometimes?

Anyway, some of us are totally cool with being weird. I was called weird as a kid and I'm taking that term back. Weirdos unite!

 

[Candleflames]

Ice! Crunching it, holding it, a pack of it on my face, etc... It brings me back to reality.

 

[Sweetleaf]

Talking about something mundane for a couple minutes really calms me down quckly. In T I often talk about what I saw on TV recently, or a recipe I made - just for one or two minutes when I need to calm back down. Works ever so well

I do that too!

My tip is: mints. They head off dissociation, for me, and keep me in the here-and-now. I can explain that with neuroscience, but I won't, on this thread.

Mints are good for me as well especially when I am feeling panicky.

My old pdoc got me started using lifesavers (the candy) for when I'm panicky, to help bring it down a bit. I was having a panic attack in her office the first time I ever tried it. It helps.
She said that sucking on things makes the brain communicate with itself more or something like that, and thus lowers the panic response.

My pdoc has a bowl of mints in her office lmao.

Ice! Crunching it, holding it, a pack of it on my face, etc... It brings me back to reality.

Lol beat me to the punch, I was just about to say, I thought ice holding/chomping is weird. But it helps.