Coping skills

[unbrokenn]

I'm a sophomore in high school. I have CPTSD from being abused for basically half of my existing life. I was wondering if you guys had some coping skills i could possibly use while at school. Using the skills i use at home are sometimes not available for use when I am at school or in public places.

 

[Nessa7]

What coping skills do you use at home? Trying out methods that are similar might be a good place to start.

 

[EveHarrington]

What symptoms are you needing help with? Not all skills work for all symptoms.

 

[unbrokenn]

What symptoms are you needing help with? Not all skills work for all symptoms.

Hi! Mostly for hearing voices, paranoia, hyperarousal, and irritability. Also for preventing flashbacks if possible.

What coping skills do you use at home? Trying out methods that are similar might be a good place to sta...

I use listening to music, painting, drawing, going for a walk, drinking ice water, seeing how fast I can melt an ice cube, counting things, writing, screaming into a pillow, having a bath, watching YouTube, and calling or texting a friend or family member.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

Mostly for hearing voices, paranoia, hyperarousal, and irritability. Also for preventing flashbacks if possible.

Are you in therapy? I do not know how you feel about medicine but it might be a help with the hearing voices, Do you smoke pot? I ask because it causes paranoia. Anxiety meds for hyperarousal Do not use too much caffeine for irritability, I do not know of anything that prevents flashbacks and hope someone will see this and offer what helps them.

I am sorry that this is happening to you and I think it is very good to ask for help and support in high school especially, you are smart for doing so.

 

[Nessa7]

Something I did a lot in high school was use my index finger to draw or write things on my desk. I liked the physical act of it, but I know people that struggled with irritability that would do swear words or things like that.

For paranoia, some people use visualizations. For example, you could imagine boxing up your paranoid thoughts and placing them on a shelf to deal with later. Another one is to take a deep breath. When you exhale, imagine you are blowing away your paranoid thoughts.

How much sleep are you getting?

 

[unbrokenn]

Something I did a lot in high school was use my index finger to draw or write things on my desk. I like...

I really like those ideas! And I barely get any. Like 2-4 hours.

 

[Nessa7]

Getting more sleep needs to be a priority. Whatever is causing you to hear voices and be paranoid would be made worse from lack of sleep.

 

[Butterflies2023]

At school --- always keep notepad and pen with you. It makes you like are always on your game ...focused....and having it will allow you to doodle which is very helpful....also you can write important things down so you don't forget because we need those constant reminders.

 

[Butterflies2023]

For sleep...when I was your age I often said prayers and then schooched over in my bed to allow Jesus to lay next to me ... or it could be your guardian angel .... but you know I just needed to know that someone was next to me....and didn't know what else to do. The prayers were a way to unload my mind and give it up to God. Where can you unload things at the hour of sleep? Well it's a suggestion and helped me when I was just exhausted and too exhausted to keep my eyes peeled in the dark and ears straining for a noise.

At school I chose not to have friends because I couldn't handle my own life and then pretend to be enjoying or understanding someone else's drama or fun. Although high school was very lonely for me I knew I wasn't getting into drugs or alcohol and knew it was only four years .... four years of high school was nothing when I survived the previous nine years or so. I saw the four years as me being on my way out. Then there was college which was my ticket providing me a means to support myself.