The PTSD Clinic | Tracy Joy | We treat complex PTSD, PTSD, Acute Stress Disorder, Anxiety, and Depression drug-free
The PTSD Clinic - An animated infographic of PTSD facts by Tracy Joy
How to Overcome Bad Feelings
- You can use these ideas to make a "Comfort Box." You will need to keep your focus on the smell, taste, feeling, sound or visual for at least 20 seconds to 1.5 minutes to drop a heavy feeling without interruption.
- We experience our world through our senses (pictures, sounds, feelings, smells, and tastes). Our brain records this sensory information as memories. Our environments stimulate our brains to constantly re-experience our memories - positive or negative.
- When we experience our strong negative feelings we do not always know how to dissipate those feeling. This is further accompanied by how our brains learn and the time lag of 20-90 seconds between stimulation and resulting emotion.
- If you have a painful feeling try using a different sensory channel than you usually use. One sensory channel will always work better for you than the others. Try the suggestions below for 20-90 seconds for short-term relief.
- Sounds:
Change the background noise you are listening to.
If you are inside go outside. Or vice versa.
Change the song/style of music you are listening to on your mp3 player or iPod or phone.
Go to the park or the zoo and listen to the sounds the animals make.
- Pictures:
Paint a wall in your place a favourite colour and admire your work ( the colour)
Ponder the question ‘How many spots are on a purple cow?’
Point your face forward, and shift your gaze to the sky or ceiling.
Look at your favourite colours.
Look at picture of people smiling.
- Feelings:
Pat a dog or cat (Caution: one you know!)
Go for a walk around the block.
Take a bath or shower.
Take a nap.
- Tastes:
Eat a piece of chocolate, let it melt in your mouth. The chemicals in chocolate causes your brain to switch. (May work better if you are female.)
Drink cinnamon tea (or something else), eat something with cinnamon. The chemicals in cinnamon causes your brain to switch. (May work better if you are male.)
Eat another comfort food.
- Smells:
Smell vanilla. The smell of vanilla stimulates switching sensors in your brain (like chocolate and cinnamon do.)
Smell lavender ( which known to have calming effects.
Spray or mist the air with a different smell or go to apace that smells good to you.
Other scents: baby powder, a baked good, cucumber, camomile, coconut oil, or lemon grass.
- To make a Comfort Box find and collect items that you can include as visuals, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings. Use a shoe box or small box to hold these items that you can leave in a space that feels safe to you.