Yes! I have several things like this that I have used (and still use) over the years...
- I have a variation on the dial one for when I have thoughts that go round and round in my head, where I imagine them as mice squeaking, and they get put in a glass jar, and I can turn the volume down on it until I can't hear them any more...
- I have one that I got from a public-speaking coach which I have found very helpful for panic attacks, which is a traffic light (I found that I had to write this one down for it to be really effective) - you go through the different lights, so RED is the trigger, the thing that happened that set the panic off, and for AMBER you write down all the awful things that you are imagining will happen, all the panicky consequences that you fear, and for GREEN you write down the logical reasons why those panic thoughts are unlikely to happen - I found this was very effective for panic attacks...
I have another one that I use when I have panic-movies that run in my head of awful things which I'm worried might happen, where I've learned that I can't stop the movie from starting in my head, but I can subvert the 'script', but in order for that to work, the alternative 'script' has to be compelling, and for me what works best is surreal humour - to imagine wings growing or people's voices becoming cat meows etc... - every time the movie starts to run, I subvert it with something wacky, and pretty soon it stops running!
I think I've (pretty much) become resigned to the fact that I think I will always have panic feelings, but I'm finding more and more effective tricks for how to manage these when they are triggered... It is very interesting to hear that other people do the same - and I will have to remember the backpack one as that is new to me!
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Date: 2011-05-06 10:38 pm (UTC)- I have a variation on the dial one for when I have thoughts that go round and round in my head, where I imagine them as mice squeaking, and they get put in a glass jar, and I can turn the volume down on it until I can't hear them any more...
- I have one that I got from a public-speaking coach which I have found very helpful for panic attacks, which is a traffic light (I found that I had to write this one down for it to be really effective) - you go through the different lights, so RED is the trigger, the thing that happened that set the panic off, and for AMBER you write down all the awful things that you are imagining will happen, all the panicky consequences that you fear, and for GREEN you write down the logical reasons why those panic thoughts are unlikely to happen - I found this was very effective for panic attacks...
I have another one that I use when I have panic-movies that run in my head of awful things which I'm worried might happen, where I've learned that I can't stop the movie from starting in my head, but I can subvert the 'script', but in order for that to work, the alternative 'script' has to be compelling, and for me what works best is surreal humour - to imagine wings growing or people's voices becoming cat meows etc... - every time the movie starts to run, I subvert it with something wacky, and pretty soon it stops running!
I think I've (pretty much) become resigned to the fact that I think I will always have panic feelings, but I'm finding more and more effective tricks for how to manage these when they are triggered... It is very interesting to hear that other people do the same - and I will have to remember the backpack one as that is new to me!