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[–] 21 points 1 year ago (1 child)

If feeling overwhelmed, do the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding method.

Find and make note of:

  • 5 things you see
  • 4 things you touch
  • 3 things you hear
  • 2 things you can smell
  • 1 thing you can taste/recall tasting

And the idea with this is to stop dwelling on your negative spiral, and to focus on immediate surroundings.

Therapist also said to feel free to mix and match the sense with the number. For example, I don't have a good sense of smell, so I do 2 things I can taste/remember tasting, and 1 thing I can smell.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I was taught this for panic attacks, except it's hard to remember what to do when in the midst of a panic attack. Then I'd just get a bit distracted trying to remember which sense came next, mission failed successfully?

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    It is, and that's okay! My therapist said that even if I could only remember two of the five senses to just switch between the two for all of 5-4-3-2-1 until I calm down! It is the act of this thing, and not necessarily the perfection of executing it!

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