CRISIS SURVIVAL STRATEGIES:

 
                                   A way to remember these skills is the word
                                                        IMPROVE

 
 
 
With Imagery:

Imagine very relaxing scenes. Imagine a secret room within yourself, seeing how it is decorated. Go into the room whenever your feel very threatened. Close the door on anything that can hurt you. Imagine everything going well. Imagine coping well. Make up a fantasy world that is calming and beautiful and let your mind go with it. Imagine hurtful emotions draining out of you like water out of a pipe.
 
With Meaning:

Find or create some purpose, meaning, or value in the pain. Remember, listen to, or read about spiritual values. Focus on whatever positive aspects of a painful situation you can find. Repeat them over and over in your mind. Make lemonade out of lemons.

With Prayer:

Open your heart to a supreme being, greater wisdom, God, your own wise mind. Ask for strength to bear the pain in this moment. Turn things over to God or a higher being.
 
With Relaxation:

Try muscle relaxing by tensing and relaxing each large muscle group, starting with your hands and arms, going to the top of your head, and then working down, listen to a relaxation tape; exercise hard; take a hot bath or sit in a hottub; drink hot milk; massage your neck and scalp, your calves and feet. Get into a tub filled with very cold or hot water and stay in it until the water is tepid. Breathe deeply; half-smile; change facial expressions.

 
With One thing in the moment:

Focus your entire attention on just what you are doing right now. Keep yourself in the very moment you are in; put your mind in the present. Focus your entire attention on physical sensations that accompany non mental tasks (e.g. walking, washing, doing dishes, cleaning, fixing). Be aware of how your body moves during each task. Do awareness exercises.
 
With a brief Vacation:

Give yourself a brief vacation. Get in bed and pull the covers up over your head for 20 minutes. Rent a motel room at the beach or in the woods for a day or two; drop your towels on the floor after you use them. Ask a roommate to bring you coffee in bed or make you dinner (offer to reciprocate). Get a schlocky magazine or newspaper at the grocery store, get in bed with chocolates, and read it. Make yourself milk toast, bundle up in a chair, and eat it slowly. Take a blanket to the park and sit on it for a whole afternoon. Unplug your phone for a day, or let your answering machine screen your calls. Take a 1 hour breather from hard work that must be done.
 
With Encouragement:

Cheerlead yourself. Repeat over and over; " I can stand it, " " It won't last forever." " I will make it out of this. " " I'm doing the best that I can do."
 

 

                                                       Thinking of PROS AND CONS

                                    Make a list of the pros and cons of tolerating the distress. Make another
                                    list of the Pros and cons of not tolerating the distress-that is, of coping by
                                    hurting yourself abusing alcohol or drugs, or doing something else impulsive.

                                    Focus on long term goals, the light at the end of the tunnel. Remember times
                                    when pain has ended.

                                    Think of the positive consequences of tolerating the distress. Imagine in
                                    your mind how good you will feel if you achieve your goals, if you don't act
                                    impulsively.

                                    Think of all the negative consequences of not tolerating your current distress.
                                    Remember what has happened in the past when you have acted impulsively to
                                    escape the moment.

*Once again these are only suggestions,
should you feel someone needs ,
 help, get them help immediately. NEVER try to
 help someone alone*