What Is Your Best Coping Method?

[Saint Nik]

How do you cope? What is your coping mechanism, strategy, techniques, tools or method? Here are a few of mine:

• Sometimes a lavender bubbly bath with some lit candles around, listening to calming music.
• Listening to Mooji or Alan Watts on youtube.
• Turning to my partner for support.
• Rocking myself as I cry, grabbing at my throat and feeling sorry for myself until the horrid sensation passes!
• Reading books or going online. The more I educate myself of symptoms, the more I take the fear out of them.
• Taking my dog for a walk, petting my dog, going on long car journeys with or without my family.
• Just having a cup of tea and a cigarette outside my back door at 3 in the morning can help!
• Sometimes sexual contact (not always)
• Cuddling someone.
• Crying and sobbing, allowing myself to be like a child again.
• Reminding myself it always passes. Using grounding techniques such as the texture of my clothes or whatever I am sitting on. Visualizing things around me. Using all of my senses.
• Moving furniture about in my house. Sometimes releases so much excess adrenaline.
• Drinking plenty of water.
• Watching comedy shows. Getting into TV shows.
• Writing my own story and what I have been through. Writing a letter to my dead abusive mother. Writing into a journal. Writing over and over what my near death experience was like and how it felt!
• Listening to music.
• Going swimming with my kids.
• Mindfully eating and enjoying food. Drinking herbal/relaxing tea, eating more fruit & veg. Getting plenty of vitamins intake.
• Coming on to this site!
• Asking for help when it gets all too much.

What about you guys? What do you do to cope? Look forward to hearing from you! :)

 

[Changing4Best]

I pray, that is when I remember to. Lots of times I don't think to pray, and so I suffer.

 

[Truthful_Whispers]

I feel that is a complicated question for me to answer. I have so many moods and mindsets, it takes a multitude of coping skills just to manage my day. Music helps, distractions such as video games or movies, sometimes smells such as incense sticks can help, feel good foods, curling up and trying to sleep the anxiety off--to reset my mind, white, brown, or pink noise, nature sounds, taking a short drive, my pets....anything but staring at the walls while thinking and dwelling, which is the worst thing I can do.

 

[MrsBeasley86]

I'm glad I read this post. You have some great ideas. For me, walking around is my instinct. I just get up and do something. Or I cry. I hate crying but it actually helps sometimes. Or I go to my husband. He helps me through it. Cleaning the house. And even though I just found this site today, it has calmed me down so much!

 

[void]

I'm glad I read this post. You have some great ideas. For me, walking around is my instinct. I just g...

Welcome to this site.
I hope it help you tremendously.:)

 

[MrsBeasley86]

Welcome to this site.
I hope it help you tremendously.:)

Thank you! It has helped me feel better already. It's nice to know I'm not alone!

 

[void]

My best coping method is having deep insight into my own life and illness.
No one can make progress without insight and self-awareness.

 

[void]

Thank you! It has helped me feel better already. It's nice to know I'm not alone!

You are not alone.
We are hear to listen...your healing matters.:)

 

[falling_wave]

My top one is talking to myself in a calming but practical way. Somehow even if I'm totally caught up in emotion I still can talk to my emotion with my rational side. Also walking and talking to others helps. Also cleaning my house, scented candles, and music make a big difference. Oh, and writing a letter to someone even if it's not about them just directing it to someone I would tell it to even if I never do.

 

[MrsBeasley86]

My top one is talking to myself in a calming but practical way. Somehow even if I'm totally caught...

Just curious, what do you talk to yourself about? Do you try to tell yourself to stay calm? I'm wanting to try out new coping techniques that help other people :)

 

[falling_wave]

@CBeasley86 it depends on the situation. If I can feel myself starting to dissociate and panic from not having control starts I tell myself repeatedly "I'm okay" "It's just a feeling it's not real" but I keep telling myself I'm okay and then I start talking to myself about what I see happening around me to pull me back. Sometimes like when I'm driving and I'm going over a bridge and that feeling starts I'll tell myself for an example "I see a car in front of me and they are fine and I am too". Then I'll tell myself to let go of the thoughts so I can get stabalize before I start thinking again. Then when I am feeling lost and alone I'll start naming all the people that care about me and tell myself that it is normal they are busy etc and I have the same things come up. If I can't sleep and I'm starting to get caught up in this is going to keep happening and I'll be non functional I'll tell myself it's one day and say all the reasons why it might be today but that doesn't mean it has to be ongoing. It's stuff like that. I guess it's reassuring myself and shutting down negative thoughts by playing devils advocate with myself.

 

[Kailani]

grounding; 3 things see, hear, touch, my rock, ice cube, writing, talking to supports, moving forward, prayer, helping animals or people, exercising