First Psychological Aid. Crisis Equipment "Extreme Suitcase"

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

An extreme suitcase helps in a stressful situation. I recommend this technique in different variations to clients to provide themselves self help.

Stress and traumatic events happen to everyone and cannot be prepared for (otherwise they could have been prevented). But the ability to show yourself psychological first aid increases the chances of surviving them with less loss.

"Extreme Suitcase" modified by me based on Louise Reddeman.

The suitcase is "assembled" from personal experience, that is why it is called so. This is a personal psychological first aid kit and can be saved in notes on your phone.

So, we take out a pen and a sheet of paper.

1. We remember crisis situations and our reactions. Then everything that helped you with them. These can be things, actions, thoughts. We write them down.

2. We form a list: what turned out to be most effective should be on top. Can be cut and arranged in the desired order.

3. Now we combine the similar and concretize each point.

The options are:

1. Images that bring strength and consolation

For example, images of dear people.

For whom is it worth living and coping? Almost all of my clients who have children wrote them first.

Someone wrote down the image of God from their religion.

Someone is an image of himself in the most difficult situation with which he successfully coped.

Images should be personally meaningful, and the feelings they evoke should be resourceful.

2. Movement

It can be anything, here physical exercises and psychological practices (breathing, muscle, for example, progressive muscle relaxation), which once proved to be effective for you.

In stress, have you tried to pat yourself all over your body, rub, “shake off” the tension, jump, walk, hug yourself?

Are there any favorite moves on your list?

3. Activity

Someone calms down and "collects thoughts" with monotonous activities (knitting, work, cooking), someone needs activity.

What did you do while experiencing stress? What they were doing? What helped you?

Any routine, familiar and familiar activities support a sense of continuation of life (a traumatic event divides life into before and after, there is a suspended state, a feeling of stopping time, anxiety about the future).

According to my observations, people engaged in manual labor recover faster. Usually they themselves remember that it was the distraction to work that helped them.

4. Tactilely pleasant things

Was wrapping in a blanket calming you? Was it that the clothes made you feel better? Favorite toys, things, anti-stress balls?

I have noticed that many are reassured by the sensation of clean ironed bed linen.

Are you tactile sensitive?

Is there something that pleases you?

What has already brought you a sense of security, pleasure?

5. Music that mobilizes or soothes

Do you have pleasant musical memories? Favorite songs, melodies?

One of my clients hummed a lullaby to himself, it gave him a sense of security and safety.

It depends on how you react to stress and what kind of request arises in connection with this. Calm down, abstract? Or "raise morale"?

6. Smells and tastes that you like

Crisis psychologists usually offer water and tea.

Remember what helps you. Be prepared to replace this if contraindications (allergies) arise.

If overeating occurs during stress, if it is regular and brings more suffering than stress itself (adds to it a feeling of guilt, self-loathing), then this does not help with stress, but deepens it. There are psychologists and therapists who deal with eating disorders, and I recommend consulting them.

7. Personal medications and drops that help in a crisis

By agreement with the doctor.

8. Text that is meaningful to you

Personal attitude, expression, promise to yourself, history. For religious people, this can be a prayer learned by heart.

Share in the comments: what was in the forefront of your list?

Art by: Jun Cen, New York