What Helps with Your EFs?

[Boatsetsailrose]

Sleeping is my main go.to
TV watching
Calling someone in recovery
Using a call helpline
Cuddling my bear
Meditation
EFT
Breathing
Self soothing and compassion (but often i can't
Writing
Yoga

[sigiriuk]

Telling myself, "I am here, it is now, I'm not there anymore, I have rights & the power to assert myself now."

It seems so simple, but I had some difficulty with it at first....very powerful "mantra".

[arale]

I will be going into a situation where I will be triggered. I would like to prepare myself for the effects of the flashback. I'm kind of looking for provisions that could help me survive the storm. Does anyone have particular advice on things I should collect / prepare that can help me before I hunker down to weather the storm? Thx

[Northman]

I use the one where I say the date, the place, what building, what rom and in what chair im sitting. And then I describe 3 different objects I see, how they would feel. It it don`t work the first time, I do it again.

I have also tried an exercise where you go to an armor shop. It`s a shop where you can by anything you want that can protect you from anything. You will have to describe any piece of armor you buy. Like I`m putting on this glove in black smooth leather that protects me from "my mothers idea that....", my families belifes that I I`m a insane etc.

[PaperDoll]

How do I cope with triggers?

Negative: avoidance, isolating myself, drinking alcohol and caffeine, being irritable

Positive: yoga, tapping, going out for a walk, listening to music, progressive muscle relaxation, drinking water or herbal tea, peppermint lozenges, setting myself small goals, doing household chores, tidying my environment, asking for help

[Little2Nothing]

I try to distract myself with reading. Also, watching a good TV show.
I'm horrible at self soothing.
But the biggest help is petting, playing with, and talking to my dogs.

[Marianne]

-Herbs like saffron.
-Essential oils like oregano or lavender.
-Being around safe people.
-Avoiding unsafe people.
-Forgiveness.
-Prayer.
-Music.
-Avoiding certain foods like dairy, msg, additives, coffee. Clean diet.
-Avoiding unsafe action, like lashing out or reading about trauma.
-Walking it out.
-Sauna, I discovered today.
-Lying in bed under blankets with heating high just waiting it out.
-Positive spiritual quotes.

[MarkTheRobot]

1. Grounding and parts work. I use Pete Walker's recommendations for managing EFs and it helps quite a bit. Visualization.

2. EFs are not fun, but, I've learned to listen to the parts in me that are crying out during them. If I can acknowledge them enough, the intense unpredictable part of the EF releases and I have a strong somatic response. After that it's just the scary and sad part of the EF that lingers, I don't have a handle on that yet but I'm hopeful. I need to give myself more grace and space. Sometimes I just grit my teeth and hope I don't literally implode.

[AphoticAtramentous]

Recently discovered one technique that helps against the EFs that make me want to sh.
I hold a pillow with both hands and I just don't let go. Can't have an 'accident' if I can't use my hands... During those moments, well, I don't like to self soothe but I do talk to my parts and soothe or care for them instead, which I realise is just self-soothing... but don't tell my brain that.

Sleep is another very effective aid but probably not a healthy one because I just want to sleep all the time now. 

Otherwise, puzzle games on my mobile phone are a good grounding distraction. I become so engrossed in the logic of it all, the logical thinking seems to override the emotional thinking.

Regards,
Aphotic.

[Blueberry]

Recently discovered one technique that helps against the EFs that make me want to sh.
I hold a pillow with both hands and I just don't let go. Can't have an 'accident' if I can't use my hands... During those moments, well, I don't like to self soothe but I do talk to my parts and soothe or care for them instead, which I realise is just self-soothing... but don't tell my brain that.

    

I used to put my hands in socks and immediately the sh impulse would go way down. I don't remember doing any self-soothing or talking to Parts though. I stopped, after various Ts in inpatient setting remarked that I couldn't do anything else with my hands either and said I should put my hands in cotton gloves so that my fingers were available. Yeah well, unfortunately my fingers were then available for sh too.

Don't listen to those Ts of mine, Aphotic, just keep this going as long as it's helpful for you.

Sleep is another very effective aid but probably not a healthy one because I just want to sleep all the time now. 

Effective for me too, often when I want to eat, or sometimes when I don't even know what I want / seem to need.