What's In Your Coping Toolbox?

[Myanxietyhasanxiety]

I thought of making a coping toolbox. A visual reminder of all the things I can turn to when I'm feeling overwhelmed.

What works for you?

Here are things I have found have helped me: (in no particular order) coloring book, visual art journal, gratitude list, reading, playing game on my phone, an object that has ridges to touch when I disassociate, walks in nature, gardening, funny quotes, pinterest, painting, cooking, deep breathing, meditation CD, music, funny movie.


What's yours?

 

[FindingMyself88]

Rock from therapist
Essential oils
Art journal
Good book
Fill it in puzzles or sudoku
Walking dogs
Ice when dissociating
Candles
Phone games
Music
Play dough
Few friends

 

[watundah]

Hiking/biking/gym to take the edge off and kick off the dopamine, endorphins, etc.

A good book or movie for tuning out

Writing, making art, tweaking my photos

Yoga

Meditation is good but I totally suck at the commitment

Eating and cooking, drinking wine and eating chocolate. Alot of that going on lately. I need some restraints!

 

[Phoenix(not)]

I thought of making a coping toolbox. A visual reminder of all the things I can turn to when...

I've recently completed CBT training my my local Health Board, Mental Health Unit. It was a "refresher" following my "episode" (where members here helped me a lot too) a little while ago. Also they trained me on "mindfulness". I'm really only mentioning it as they have not yet been added to the list. I was told (almost drilled into me) many times these two techniques, once mastered, are proven to be therapuetic and effective.

 

[Weemie]

Being busy. Pile-on after pile-on. People say you shouldn't be busy to avoid life, but being busy is where I thrive. The less idle time I have, the better. It energizes me, and keeps me productive and feeling good.

Substances, when it's bad. People say you shouldn't revert to that, but sometimes you have to make an executive decision to override your neurology. I'd rather be high than dead. Self improvement. (Rather be high, but I've been completely clean since July.)

In my worst days, I would comfort myself by knowing I could die. The ultimate exit strategy treatment for flightiness. In my best days, remembering compassion/keeping inventory. Look how far you've come. It's all right. Look at all these things you own, that are yours. You keep a stable job, you have your own place. You go to school, you are worth respecting.

Sometimes I just have to strap in and prepare for lift-off. Diving down. Exposure therapy is not my strong suit, but when things are irking, it helps to deconstruct it. Layer by layer. Piece by piece. Prove to myself I can. It's like being in a gyroscope, like the spinning chair in the Discovery Centre. (God, I loved that place.) Like being upside down, operating on IFR. Stick my hand in the shower, walk in the rain. Heartrate rising, riser, riser.

 

[Myanxietyhasanxiety]

Thank you everyone. Very insightful and helpful!

And

I've recently completed CBT training my my local Health Board, Mental Health Unit.

@Phoenix(not) that's amazing. Congratulations! Yeah, I'm interested to learn more. Going have to pick your brain more on the subject and your thoughts along the way :)

 

[Myanxietyhasanxiety]

Exposure therapy is not my strong suit, but when things are irking, it helps to deconstruct it.

Great way to explain it, "deconstruct". Yeah, same boat here. I have been in therapy for a long long time and still have difficulty talking about it. I'm at the place where I can finally accept I have PTSD. Hard pill to swallow for me. Then accept, I have been suffering since childhood, it's not all my combat experience. Mind Blown. So then that's why I have so many triggers. And stressor. So it's hard to do Exposure when I still don't even know what they all are.

But I'm there now, that need for Deconstructing. The memories, and body invasions are spilling over and I feel like ai may burst if I don't get it out now.

I hear ya on the " busy". Yeah, I have way too much idle time. It's so foreign to my being, I think that makes it worse. My problem starts when I get busy. Like basically my whole military career, I just numb it all out with work. I was the quintessential work- a- holic. They had to pry my fingers kicking and screaming out the door. I miss it so much but the problem was everytime, every single time, I tried to make plans for the day, normal responsibilities, ect... I thought I was good, but then I lose time and drive off the road, or forget where I am in the middle of the day, and during the worst- scream at my daughter (still makes me sick to my stomach thinking about that period)

So I'm learning to be "busy" other ways. But it's SO HARD. My pride came from working :( But I'm trying hard to be Proud to be the stay at home mom now, that is focused on healing. I'm trying. I know there is a million ways to keep my self busy. Being a mom is the hardest job in the world, but she's 12 now. It's not like I change diapers and she's pretty self-sufficient. So that leads the rest of the day. I have tried crafts, small projects, ect... but it's not the same.

So here I am now. Not busy at all. All the time in the world. And my experience has shown me, getting busy, is the quickest way to me going in rage fits and losing my mind. So hard to find that balance, you know?

 

[Myanxietyhasanxiety]

I was in crisis the other day (not suicidal or suicsidal ideation) but slipping out of reality, with my heart beating out of my chest. I felt like I could not get it back together. Had to call the crisis line, then following day to an appointment. Yesterday, I FORCED myself to bake cookies. (It took me almost 2 hours just to get the recipe, put together the ingredients, and mix it) I kept losing myself, where I was, what I was doing.... that's so scary! Even after I put them together, I put them in the oven. The OVEN WAS NOT EVEN ON! I sat there dumfounded on what the next step was spose to be. I couldnt figure out what was going on.... I could not get myself grounded.

Days like that scare me so bad. I just want to be a functional adult. I just want to make it through a day.

 

[Nevermore]

Meditation, tree hugging, walks on the beach, reading great books, painting, making extra special burdbaths for the birds with rough surfaced underfoot because they love that, writing, music and dancing...
But if all de fails I still do turn to my old friends - bottle of wine and cigs.
Meditation has ceased to be a grimding commitment these days. I persevered when I heard that it can heal the brain if you keep it up - now it's a real pleasure and something I look forward to.
I truly believe it works!

 

[Changing4Best]

Going out for a walk
Chocolate
emailing my therapist (although sometimes this won't help, because I don't know what is bothering me)
talking with my pastor
praying
reading, especially the Bible
hugging someone
calling a friend
coming here and chatting with someone, either to distract or to discuss it
listening to music
or the radio

 

[Ronin]

Matches
Short lines of people dear to me / notes
Needles
Photos of kids
Coins / money

... Reminder of promises & my head being enough tool, essentially.

Coping box for more at peace times also has books and a variety of other things, but it's not the one I've reached out to for past year and so.