Soothing Emergency first aide soothe bag

Posted , 9 users are following.

I'm in outpatient treatment..usually it is the same ole' bla, bla, bla...which we know but can't change by ourselves!  

Anyway, I DiD find something in my "class" yesterday to be useful.  I tend to get very "gay" when sober and I TRY to change...because if nothing changes, nothing changes (AA saying).

The suggestion was to make a first aide kit or a "soothe" bag.

So I'm going to buy a 5 dollar bag at my dollar store....they have pretty ones here....just a plain like (lunch tote bag).

In the bag I am going to put items that soothe me (as suggested) when I am STRESSED to the max.

Things like - a coloring book, a medallion with a butterfly on it that a friend gave to me.  A CD of Ekhart Toole, maybe some magazine clipping of inspirational sayings...etc...I'm sure the bag will grow from a 6x6 to a BACK PACK...cause I need LOTS of soothing.  Hope this is an idea some others can use smile.

The key to this concept is DISTRACTION...when I feel stressed if I have the bag to dig into it and DISTRACT myself.  

I was given many sites to visit for Funny Videos, Online drawing and Painting, Feel Good Videos....if anyone wants a listing of any of these sites PM me...as I can't list them here....2 of the sites are UK sites which I found interesting and thought of you guys.

1 like, 39 replies

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  • Posted

    Brilliant idea misssy, love it. Will let you know what I'm going to put in my "soothe bag "later. You do make me smile and cheer me up when I'm depressed. Your  "1 goal each day" thing is brilliant too. 

    Hope you have a good weekend xx

    • Posted

      I forgot about the 1 goal...the old habits take over quickly. thank you for reminding me!

      My goal today was to go get another coloring bag set up for me since I gave mine to my neice last night - LOL.  complete!

      Yes, give ideas for soothe bag...right now mine is the coloring bag with colored pencils, some markers and adult coloring books. And a "pencil" holder...I'm so pleased...lol.

       

    • Posted

      Oh...it wasn't MY idea...it was on a booklet they gave us in class from a list of things to chose to distract yourself when you are STRESSED.

      That's why I said...I need a back pack...cause I am STRESSED alot. smile

      Hopey your having a better day!

    • Posted

      Quite right, Misssy.

      My goal for today has already been accomplished. I ordered a book from Amazon.

      That's enough effort for one day. I'm going back to bed now.

      No cigarettes for over three weeks!

    • Posted

      Wow well done on no cigarettes for 3 weeks, that is great. Unfortunately I am finding I am smoking and eating more junk food and sweets now instead of drinking.

      One thing at a time

  • Posted

    Go to you tube and watch the Talking Kitty videos by Steve Cash. Even if you don't like cats, they're hysterically funny.
    • Posted

      I will definetly go to this site...I love cats.

      Have you ever seen the show My Cat from Hell?

      It is so good and you learn so much about cats.

      Hope your day is going well smile

    • Posted

      No, I haven't seen that one. I'll look it up. There's also a selection of cats with cucumbers which is also very funny.

      Steve Cash gets my vote every time, though. In the comments under each video, people write "Do those cats really talk?"

      I mean, are people mad or what?????

      Hope your day's brrn good, too. T.

  • Posted

    Misssy, look up a website called Calm (dot) com, they have a smartphone app too. They offer guided meditations, but you can also just look at the scenery and listen to the sounds. If you view it on a PC, you can choose from different scenes on the right hand side.
    • Posted

      they do guided imagery   in "class"....it is gay too I thought....but I did get into it the other day.  I will check this out!
    • Posted

      Second this website. I use it a lot. It helps focus your mind and can be a great distraction tool when the body is going into panic.

      I have the ap on my smart phone and kindle. I use the guided meditation to aid sleep.

  • Posted

    I like to read everybody's discussions on here but I don't like to post a lot. I didn't drink for 4 months and now I have to taper off in two days. I'm freaking out and my wife is about to leave me and I don't know what to do. If anyone has any suggestions please help
    • Posted

      Oh no...breathe and taper...I'm sorry about drinking again after 4 months I KNOW how that feels as does most everyone on the page.

      If it takes 10x...just don't give up trying.

    • Posted

      171207...I'm so sorry to hear of your struggles and pain. My heart goes out to you as alcohol took nearly everything from me too. I am still struggling, though I feel I've gone a long way and because of this site, the people on it, I'm making positive steps, very slowly with blips along the way, but I'm defiantly moving forward.

      I hope that people on here, with more professional experience than me will step in with good advice. 

      The demon drink gives us so much pleasure for years, but for a lot of us, it then starts to take everything we love. You have to find something that will help, whether doctor, aa, group therapy or medication. As you realise there are lots on this site that have got well and leading happy lives. I think personally that campral or naltrexone with group therapy is your best option. I really hope that you find something before it's too late xx

    • Posted

      Thank you. I've been seriously thinking about that because when I want to have a beer I can only have one but when I want to drink vodka I have to have 20. I don't know what the problem is. I live in California so I haven't asked my dr. Yet because I'm too afraid of what he's going to say. I detoxed at least 4 or 5 times in the last year. I think I'm starting the Kindle. I drink as soon as I wake up or when I try to sleep
    • Posted

      When you cross over that line where you start drinking to get you to sleep and/or when you wake up sadly there is no turning back to normal drinking. Now you must face up to this and get help either to control it(Sinclair method) or to abstain( campral). I'm sorry if I sound blunt but I know from experience sadly. You have to get help now. I think you said you are in US, not familiar with the system there but Misssy and ADE can advice. Bless you x
    • Posted

      Check out the CThreeFoundation website, there's a link called "Find A Physician" that might help. If you don't find anything there, I know of a couple others in California. The ones marked Verfied know how to prescribe per TSM. 

      Odd, about the beer / vodka thing. Have you tried sticking with beer for a day? 

       

    • Posted

      l71207

      If you feel like it, maybe start a new thread on this, people will pile in with support and suggestions, for sure!

    • Posted

      Lordy, you're in a right messs and no mistake.

      Keep calm. This difficult time will pass.

      Is your wife really going to leave you or are you worried that she might?

      Thinking of you and best of luck, from Tess

    • Posted

      Thank you so much for replying. All of you it helps so much. I feel like it just gets harder and harder every time
    • Posted

      It does get harder and harder...I totally agree sad
    • Posted

      Thank you so much. As much as I love my wife when I try to talk to her about how it is she just doesn't understand because she's not going through it. Which I totally get but she just doesn't know. When I try to tell people that coming down from this is like your worst hangover all day long they always look at me like I'm crazy and once again it just makes me realize that they don't know
    • Posted

      Sadly the only people who understand are those, like most of us on this site who are trying to recover from addiction, whether it's alcohol or drugs. I know there are other addictions like food, gambling, sex, shopping, cigs. But when you have our kind of addiction, it alters our mind. We like being "out of our mind" where as other addictions are very serious, but don't end you up in hospital or cells. Someone may not agree but anyone alcoholic or drug addict I hope will agree xx
    • Posted

      Thank you so much for understanding. My wife totally wants to back me up but she'll never understand and I know I'm just making it worse for so I don't know if I should just end it or just keep going. I know this is a difficult thing I just don't know what to do
    • Posted

      My husband is an alcoholic and although I am addicted to diazepam (valium) I was having a very hard time understanding why he can't just stop. So I put a post on this website and LOADS of people responded with advice. It really, really helped. Just knowing thaat people are not judging you is so important. I now realise that I was judging my husband. I have been on a tapering off programme for my diazepam addiction and have alo, to my surprise, have given up smoking. I didn't think I would be capable of either of those things. Would your wife read through the comments I got when I reached out for help from this forum?

      The title was WHY DON'T I UNDERSTAND MY HUSBAND'S ADDICTION TO ALCOHOL.

      Maybe if she reads it, she'll understand better what you're going through.

      All the best and don't give up.

    • Posted

      It is so frustrating when the other half doesn't understand.

      Each time I am hospitalized I think my b/f expects when I come out of hospital...for things to be immediately normal.  The last time I got out (i was in less than attractive clothes)...he wanted to stop at a local store for cat food, then another store to get food....He had NO CLUE...that I had just wanted to go HOME after spending 6 days in the smelly hospital.

      I was boiling over with frustration.  Then we get home and I think he was expecting...things around the house to be done as I plopped on the couch.  I have had alot of hospital visits in the last 2 years for alcoholism...and each time he expects the same thing....and each time I have to remind him...that I will not be back to anywhere near normal for at least 2 weeks.

      So, I do understand what you are going thru....it makes me feel worse and like a less of a person when I have these bouts...and he adds to my depressive feelings by dismissing the fact that I need TIME to recover.

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