Alternatives to high-risk activities

[PlainJane]

I am bursting with I don't know what. I am trying to behave (as in not engage in unhealthy coping) because I still have the kiddo to look after. I want to do all of the REAL adrenaline inducing activities. I want to f*ck strangers silly. I am easy agitated, and looking for a fight. I need to be exhausted, or have the absolute shit beat out of me. I want to f*cking drop it all and run, still might pending circumstances.

Not sleeping, puking, loosing time. If I don't do something quick, I won't have much control in the matter, my brain and body will follow what has worked in the past.

I can't exercise, and am limited in physical exertion. I have engaged AI, but it can't provide anything explosive enough to alleviate what's happening. I am earnestly trying the suggestions, but they aren't cutting it. Does anybody have any suggestions that can get me until the 26th without damaging myself further?

 

[Rose White]

Sounds exhausting and frustrating! My heart goes out to you. I have a few ideas, one I think you won’t like

• Making bread by hand; kneading and punching the shit out of the dough, making it into a dick or something
• Breaking shit
• Weeding, where you have to pull stuff out with deep roots
• Listening to the most intense music you can muster (death metal, violent symphonies, punk, etc) really loud and screaming at the most intense parts
• Exploring clay, hurling it, punching it, squeezing it, making a mess, making something intricate then smashing it
• Destroying a book with paint, markers, scissors, glue—coloring with crayons *really* hard
• Giving that part permission to say out loud what they want, don’t want, like, don’t like—but could make it worse if your wise self loses control

Here is the suggestion that I don’t think you’ll like (because I would’t like it if I were in a heightened state!)
Observe the feeling. Where do you feel it most in your body? What are the edges of it? Where do you feel it the least? How does it change from moment to moment? Can you push it around? Can you influence it to shift locations or is it seated in a certain part of your body? How does noticing it influence it? Does it change over the course of a minute, five minutes, half an hour? From the morning to the evening? Is there a time of the day when it is most likely to arise?

 

[chihayafuru]

i was drawing earlier though I got annoyed with it cause it wasn't turning out how i wanted. i've been also struggling a lot and trying not to use unhealthy coping mechanisms. i've just not really been doing a lot of anything other than talking on forums and to robots trying to get support.

 

[Renly]

With you @PlainJane - I go through this, too. I love @OliveJewel suggestions.

Running, pulling weeds, dancing around fast and crazy sometimes help me get it out. If exercise is tricky, maybe low impact (like swimming) is a possibility. I took an ice bath a couple times - one time it jolted my system back to reality, but the other time it just made me more agitated.

Journaling/connecting with distressed parts seems to be the most effective strategy to bring everything back down. This also usually involves planning to do EMDR with distressed parts to seek resolution of whatever is getting triggered.

Aggressive drawing/scribbling, tearing papers, art also sometimes help. Sometimes I make myself go to sleep.

Unfortunately, nothing works every time for me. I have to just keep trying things until something shifts. Sending lots of good energy your way! I know how hard it can be.

 

[Tinyflame]

^^ In addition to doing the above, could it be grief @PlainJane ? (Did your bird come back yet?.. ) If possible, venting the anger and restlessness and despair in a healthy way, and not self-harming, and privately; speaking out loud how you feel, tears if they will come. Sleep and eating something, a shower if you can. You might not be feeling well and not realize it, also.

Manny gentle virtual hugs to you xox.

 

[Deleted member 42984]

Smashing things, doing incredibly ugly drawings only to burn them has helped me sometimes. Also cursing like a sailor in writing.

 

[arfie]

repressed emotions are the root source of both my adrenaline addiction and my hyper-sexuality. emotional channeling helps me confront, accept and process those repressed emotions. @OliveJewel and @Renly listed some of my more effective channeling tools. while i am using those tools, i lean, ever so gently, into those emotions. in addition, adrenaline is a physical substance which leaves residues in the system. a detox diet seems to help purge those residual chemicals.

 

[Friday]

If I can’t do ANY exercise? Which has now happened to me twice in my life >.< Drugs & Distraction & Hot/Cold/Hot/Cold showers.

Limited exercise gives me a lot more options, but also means drugs/distraction will still be core points / centrally featured, because my body isn’t capable of burning off all I need it to burn off.

Aside from the obvious (switching gross motor for fine motor, or fine motor for gross motor, depending on where I’m limited)… here are some things that surprised me in their effectiveness

- Tattoos (including black light tattoos if one is worried about coverage)

- Falling … particularly into a flying trapeze net, as it’s a loooooong fall, followed by bouncing. But it does require being able to climb a ladder and hold on with my hands for at least 5 seconds, as well as being able to absorb the impact. So it was LOVELY when I was recovering from being sick, but not something I can do whilst injured.

- Mani/Pedis

- Really, really, LOUD music. I prefer adding dancing to this, or driving, but even if neither is possible, being bathed in sound helps.

- Spicy food / spicy drinks

- Daydreaming

- Swings & other childhood “rushes” (water slides; spinning around bars; sliding on slick floors in my socks, entering/exiting via windows instead of doors, bouncing blue racket balls in the house, basketballs out of the house, the more annoying & complicated the pattern? The better <<< I also do this when I’m touchy about fireworks. It’s bizarrely effective, being in control of the reverbation and boom). The thing about childhood adrenaline? I look at kids and WISH I still had that kind of energy to burn, whilst at the same time, having too much to burn. It’s just a different kind of energy. But? Removed running EVERYWHERE (I would fall down gasping and wanting to die), and the constant expenditure? The actual activities of childhood rarely require skill, or focused effort. So when I’m not able to play grownup games? Childish games are still often very available.

- Lighting off my own fireworks (once upon a time, when we were all stressed out EOD -explosive ordnance disposal- would take us down to the stone quarry to blow shit up. 50gallon barrels and block sized kaboom? Feel lovely on shattered nerves. No idea why.) Lighting off fireworks is kind of like playing with tadpoles in comparison, but still enervating.

 

[PlainJane]

These are awesome guys, I genuinely appreciate it I was coming up blank. I have had some success with these, and had a bit of fun too. There's also quite a few I want to try, but are unable to try right away. Thank you, I didn't pull this week of entirely risk free, but I think it's an improvement. I managed to get into some trouble with sleeping with strangers this week. Really one guy was trouble, out initial encounter was followed by some non-consensual shit I didn't get out of. I did have an important insight pop up elsewhere, I don't know what to do with it, but I know it's important somewhere.

It's difficult to come up with coping mechanisms that match the force of distress. I feel like it's worse when part of my regular day to day coping skills are of the more intense sort.

- Tattoos (including black light tattoos if one is worried about coverage

This is great! I have done dry ink and branding art. I want to do the falling one so bad. There is something so peaceful (not the word I mean but the closest I can come up with) about just letting go and watching the world fly by. I don't have anything around here that can accommodate it. I could bungee, but that's unkind to the body atm.


I am curious on your perspective, could you go into this further:

a detox diet seems to help purge those residual chemicals.

In addition to doing the above, could it be grief @PlainJane ?

It could part of the whole, yes. I haven't found my bird, no. It's been a pretty f*cked period of life in general. I struggle with teasing the individual stuff out. It get very overwhelming very quickly.

Here is the suggestion that I don’t think you’ll like (because I would’t like it if I were in a heightened state!)
Observe the feeling. Where do you feel it most in your body? What are the edges of it? Where do you feel it the least? How does it change from moment to moment? Can you push it around? Can you influence it to shift locations or is it seated in a certain part of your body? How does noticing it influence it? Does it change over the course of a minute, five minutes, half an hour? From the morning to the evening? Is there a time of the day when it is most likely to arise?

No, I am not fond of it. It doesn't have any of the flare your other suggestions had.

Seriously though, it's something I need to understand. Trying to do alone is ineffective I discovered very quickly. I have such a sensitive little baby brain. Oi

 

[Tinyflame]

Oh @PlainJane , this I believe is so true:, at least I completely agree and relate! :

It's difficult to come up with coping mechanisms that match the force of distress. I feel like it's worse when part of my regular day to day coping skills are of the more intense sort.

Also:

Trying to do alone is ineffective I discovered very quickly. I have such a sensitive little baby brain. Oi

I struggle with teasing the individual stuff out. It get very overwhelming very quickly.

This too is so 'me'!

. I did have an important insight pop up elsewhere,

That is very important, maybe more than you even could realize now.

Please stay safe. I thought of something- also be kind to yourself. Be as kind as you would be to those you love.
.
Glad to hear you're ok

 

[PlainJane]

That is very important, maybe more than you even could realize now.

Please stay safe. I thought of something- also be kind to yourself. Be as kind as you would be to those you love

I’m not out of the woods yet, but I’m trying. The risky sex has take. The edge off. I know I need to stop, but it’s nice not to puke for a couple days. I’m trying to recognize it and replace it. Seeing it in time is crucial, otherwise I’m gone.

 

[Freddyt]

- Really, really, LOUD music. I prefer adding dancing to this, or driving, but even if neither is possible, being bathed in sound helps.

One of my favorites - all kinds of music works......

Violent video games works too, FPS and blow the hell out of everything.....empty the clip, empty the belt, blow the snot out of everything.....