I don’t have DID but I have other mental illnesses and every time I watch your videos, you validate that it’s normal and to not continue to believe “somethings wrong with me” or “I’m cr&$@“. I also love seeing your new make up looks, I like to replicate them for fun on my free time. Your videos have helped me so much. I appreciate you kya, all of you. ❤️ such a beautiful group of individuals. Well lol you know what I mean 😂 I see you all as individuals. Keep it up lovely…. There are many people you are helping
@@swiftly_produced2694 that word has been used against me in ever relationship I’ve ever been in. They used it to Manipulate me. To make me feel like somethings wrong with me. But rest assured, me and my son do not use that language. And I have made it very clear why saying something like that is not appropriate. Especially when someone’s actually feeling like that. It’s not OK you know?
I think it's usually not apologising for the intrusion, it's more apologising for not editing it out and doing an extra take. Because if UA-camrs really thought their pets were intruding on the video, they would edit it out and you'd never see it
That is called Deep Pressure Therapy. My service dog is trained to apply DPT autonomously when my blood pressure drops because the pressure of her weight raises my BP faster. It is also commonly used for anxiety reduction and grounding among service dog users. Very helpful. Glad to hear your dog can help you, too, at home.
I don't have DID, but I have a dissociative seizure disorder, PNES (psychogenic non-epileptic seizures). I'm awake when my seizures happen but it feels like a dream, and I can barely control my body. I've found that my cat Kiki is actually a huge help to ground me back to reality. She sits on my chests and purrs, a very relaxing feeling on its own, then I pet her soft fur and just enjoy my pretty kitty and it calms down even some of my most violent seizures. I've also found that smelling candles helps as aromatherapy, I have two tiny candles small enough to hold in my palm, and I never light them. I just put them up to my nose and begin deep breathing. Something else that can be used for panic attacks (and my seizures are essentially just intense panic attacks) is to put an icepack or cold cloth on the eyes and cheeks. It activates the mammalian diving reflex, instantly steadying the heartbeat and helping controlled breathing.
Thank you for sharing. I have panic attacks and I'm gonna try using the icepack! Breathing exercises never worked for me when I had strong anxiety, so I could never really stop my heartbeat and breathing from contributing to the panic response.
I never knew the science behind the cool/ice but it really really helps with my migraines and when I get a panic attack along side it! Thank you for sharing!
Yo dude I also have PNES! (Although I usually call them dissociative seizures) As I write this I'm actually coming out of one, so far I'm still shaking and can't walk. When it started it was evening and now it's dark lol. I've had them for coming up on 3 years now, yet I don't have many techniques to help them. I'm totally gonna try the ice pack thing! And I'm looking into having a service animal in the future! This comment doesn't actually say much lol, just wanted to let you know you're not alone and reach out to someone I can relate too ^u^
We also have PNES, we hadn’t looked into using ice packs for grounding in that circumstance but next time we’re definitely going to. Thanks for the advice, even if you weren’t meaning to give it! - Lys
I love that they talked about how much time it takes to utilize grounding techniques beyond just knowing them. I've been really frustrated with myself before bc Ill have a bad time and then be like well I know this grounds me why didnt I do that?? Its one thing to know the grounding techniques and another thing entirely to 1. Recognize when you need to ground and 2. Make the effort to ground once you recognize the situation. It is all a journey and it is so nice to hear someone else talk about some of the steps along the way 🖤
As a cat person, that fluffy bum and that cute little “MEOWWW!!!” just made me squeal out loud 😍😍😍 Seraphina is just too cute, you’re all so lucky to have each other 💜💜💜
Love the vid. A very minor point, the shutter speed on your camera is causing some horizontal rolling banding with your lights. You can reduce the effect by dropping the shutter speed down to a minimum of 1:50 as any more may cause issues. Glad to see the new setup! Keep it up!
@@amberlee7343 Hobby not professional, but I've done so much editing I can't stop looking for slight imperfections. The issues with this video are so minor I would absolutely use them as the take is really good.
I love Seraphina. Anyone with pets totally understands them wanting to participate in videos / online meetings. My coworkers know them well now. 😁 I’m so glad you have her to bring joy & comfort!!
As someone diagnosed with panic disorder last year, I'm still trying to figure out how to ground myself in different scenarios and volumes of anxiety- so this is very helpful 🥺
I used to wear rings in my fingers and when I felt anxious is tapping the rings together rhythmically I would start fast then slow more and more . If you are having a hot flash with anxiety touch something cold then when your hand is cold enough I used to touch behind my neck, lower back or face. I used to unhook my bra and felt immediate relief. You can carry a small fan, scented wet wipes. Also deep breaths there are a lot of techniques of deep breathing but if you just remember to take a few deep breaths.
I’m autistic and most grounding techniques that work for me are very overstimulating, so it’s always a difficult decision if I “want” to be disassociated or overstimulated
i get this too. I just have to find things that calm my nervous system as opposed to stimulating it. for me thats white noise, repetitive movements like rocking and swaying, music that is familiar to me, and calming visuals like watching my fish. It's essentially stimming, just being mindful about it.
You know I'm autistic as well minorly and I had never been overstimulated and had that experience until literally yesterday and it was all because I had a blister on the back of my knee like what the heck
Ironically, we were severely triggered whilst watching this video (from something unrelated) and so we followed your advice and were able to ground ourselves enough to finish the video. Great content as always, thank you Kya for doing what you do - the space raiders system
I have pretty severe anxiety and depression and dissociation/shutting down was my first line coping mechanism for a long time. These videos have helped me find better ways to deal with scary emotions and situations. Thank you so much for the work you do for not only the DID community, but for the rest of us dealing with tricky mental health situations. Also, Seraphina is SO CUTE! Cats are the best.
My biggest default is dissociating. My stepmother triggered me, and my boyfriend didn't mean to make it worse. But he handled it really well and told me it was okay to feel what I felt.
@@riverwolf2889 that's a lesson I'm trying to learn too. Having people in your life that trigger you definitely sucks! Having good support is definitely empowering. I hope things get easier if they aren't already going in that direction.
Off topic but Kya and co, it's been so lovely to see you guys become more confident and comfortable on the internet (your tiktoks are my best) and that eye look is killer so kudos to whoever did it 🖤🖤
Seraphina: I’m the star of the show, Mom. Animals just know what’s going on with their pet parents. They connect with the person (or persons) and do things that make people feel comfort and love. They have that sense; it’s sweet and comforting, like y’all and Miss Seraphina; it keeps you stable and allows you to relax. If I ever get a pet, that would help me tremendously with my anxiety. Also, when I feel overwhelming anxiety, I hug a plushie like one of my Pokémon plushies and hold it close to me so that I can feel safe. It helps me a lot! I may be too old for plushies, but I don’t care. It helps me regardless of my age. Always have since I was a kid.
I’ve kinda felt embarrassed with how much I like plushies and stuff like that but they really do help! Especially scented ones. But I’m glad I’m not the only one haha
Trigger warning: self harm As someone who feels like they're mental health is flip flopping a lot due to therapy bringing up trauma I need to face to heal... thank you for this video. I really appreciate it! My therapist wants me to self regulate in healthy ways instead of relying on my husband all the time or relying on hurting myself such as digging my nails into my skin or biting myself. Stop relying on pain to break my brain out of anxiety I also tend to be very noticeable when I start to get overwhelmed possible due to my autism. When I tap, it is more of banging my hand against my legs. My husband understands what's going on, but others may not. So thank you for this video! I really appreciate it!
I absolutely relate to this. When I'm nervous or having a panic attack, I tend to scratch or claw into my arms and a headmate of mine has been helping me realize not to do that so I don't hurt myself. It's really hard trying to unlearn bad habits especially when you're triggered so good luck!
I have similar coping skills...they are so instantly helpful which makes it so hard to stop...but it's also really scary for people who notice and it's not the best for me in the long run. Good luck to us all as we work towards healthier self regulation.
Try slime. I have trichotillomania and Autism and slime has been a good breakthrough. There's all sorts of slime these days. I've really gotten into bingsu slimy which makes all sorts of fun crunchy sounds and I can dig my nails in it and the beads feel great against my hands. Clear slime is great when I want to beat my fingers. I'm having fun with slime but still learning fabric and slime don't mix!
@@KateandBree I've tried slime. I got it in a mystery box with other things. My brain just personally cannot process it. It doesn't understand what to do with it. I think my ADHD kicks in and it's not a strong enough stimuli for me. I really appreciate the suggestion!
Thank you for this, it is so helpful for me. When you said "if you can't get out of bed for you, do it for your animals" changed my perspective so much. Also I love how you normalize grounding for everybody, not just DID/OSDD systems or people that are mentally ill. Your work is amazing ❤
A few other grounding techniques I use: • Just breathing deeply. Breathe in for 5 sec, hold for 5 sec, breathe out for 5 sec, and hold it again for 5 sec. This really helps my when I'm have a panic attack, depressive episode, I'm feeling angry, or anything really • Going outside. This might not work for some people, but if you're having a depressive episode, seeing people, breathing in fresh air and being peaceful can help. • Talking to yourself. I have made multiple characters that represent different parts of me. I like talking to them and making my own universes. It's like a little escape for reality that you can modify. • Singing a happy or peaceful tune. It can be from a song, or something you made. It doesn't matter as long as it make you feel better. • Drawing. Whether it be a vent, or abstract, it's really grounding. It takes your mind off things while your in the moment. • Play with rubber bands. You can link them, make shapes, shoot them, or just stretch them. You can do it while processing memories/thoughts or thinking. I'll add more if I remember any, or if she said any(I haven't watched the whole video yet). Stay happy, healthy and safe💖💖
Serafina is the star of this video you cannot change my mind. Great educational video, I never thought about me biting my lip as grounding. Just a bad habit but it makes sense now.
I do crafts to keep grounded. Crochet is my favorite but I also do embroidery. I love it because it keeps me in the present, and when I'm done I always feel so good about myself.
I just realized why I have been so anxious these past few weeks, an anniversary is coming up of a trauma in September and watching you speak about tapping and calm etc helped me see that. Not a system here just another traumatised person who can use any advice they can get so thank you!
Those are never fun, something we find helpful with sensory overloads depending on how intense the overload is, is using ear defenders or something to help cancel out the noise even just a little bit. - another thing is using sunglasses to help block out excess light, this is more if we’re in a public place bc we can’t exactly use an eye mask but the sunglasses will at least help dim the lights. - something else is if we’re wearing any bracelets or rings (which we typically are bc we don’t like taking the rings off bc of the sensory aspect of our autism) to take them all off bc the feeling of them against our skin is too much, unfortunately for this aspect there’s not much else that can be done when you’re in a public place. - if necessary try carrying something to either help block out excess smells or something to counteract the other smells with a smell you like, for example a scented lip balm not necessarily something strong something simple like a strawberry or vanilla scent can help. Hopefully some of these are at least slightly helpful if I figure out any others that might be at least slightly helpful I’ll update this with either an edit or a new comment.
This video is so incredibly helpful. As someone who struggles with depersonalization and derealization pretty frequently, I struggle with grounding techniques. Thank you so much 💜💜💜
the little who paid over twice the alotted amount for the toy is BASED and they're amazing but i also adore the one who respected the limit, that's so cute im glad you dont talk about them much, so glad they are safe
This video came at the perfect time, my anxiety and panic has been making a comeback lately because there’s a huge change going on in my life right now. I really needed this, thank you!
When I was a child, I had beyblades. And I loved beyblades. I used to just hold them in my hand and feel for every single detail. Now I'm older and more anxious, i have a beyblade. The little amount of force used to make it spin. How it looks and spins. And the sound is IMMENSLY grounding. People should try it more (if it isn't triggering to others)
I've experienced derealization twice and I felt so stuck. It lasted for well over an hour. The first time, I ended up calling my dad, asking him to drive me around the neighborhood and I could see all the holiday lights (I was finishing a final Christmas Eve with my extention). Now knowing some actual active things to do should help. Thank you so much!
My friend sent me a few of your videos bc my boyfriend might have did, hes not diagnosed but he's pretty sure he has it. I've only watched 3 of your videos so far but your helping me learn how to be a good support system and partner for him, thank you
I don't have DID but I love your channel and watch all your videos even if it's not on a topic helpful to me specifically. I suffered a traumatic event a few months ago and the flashbacks have been very disruptive, so this video couldn't have come at a more perfect time. I'm definitely going to use these techniques. Thank you for making such educational and compassionate content!
thank you so much for all your content, it’s really helpful and educational. it’s also really great to see a genderfluid person making videos, it makes me feel much less alone about myself being genderfluid !! 💛💛 love you all
I'm neurodivergent and I tend to stim a lot, especially in situations where I feel anxious. I've found that was really works for me is playing with my rings and touching a rock, but I can fidget with pretty much anything. I think the texture is what does it.
Love that you talked about pets! It sounds sort of sad but it really is true that if you struggle with your mental health, having a pet you need to take care of everyday can really help motivate you. I have a dog and that means I cannot spend a whole day or weekend in bed, she's gotta go out for walks and that means so do I!
If you did asmr, my month would be MADE. your videos are already like that for me, and if it was an intentionally tingly educational video, that would be AMAZING. Love your work and thanks for another video! ❤
I have my bunnies 🐰 to help me to stay grounded. They are pretty chill and love to cuddle and be pet, so that helps me immensely 😊 I also bought a putty from a store that's for anxiety, it helps me so much and I can bring it everywhere with me. Did wonders when I would get anxious in class
Thank you for the update: I’ve had a lot of luck with grounding using a rough quartz crystal, smells, and journaling. I don’t have a dissociative disorder but I do have anxiety/depression/ptsd triggers and I find this video very helpful ❤️ Thank you for being so open and talking about mental health which continues to be heavily stigmatized. It’s appreciated
hi :) i just wanted to thank you all- i found your videos a long time ago when i was really young, and learning about how to manage mental health at a young age helped me to be more comfortable with it as i grew up. i am a part of a did system, and because of you guys our communication has improved greatly :> we cannot thank you enough 💞💞💞
A lot of us have songs that we have hyper-fixated on and have become positive triggers for us. Unfortunately, it can cause spontaneous switches when the song randomly plays.... lol We used to fight it, try to break those triggers. But now, we just roll with it. If one of those alters are already out, they can listen to "their song" on repeat to keep grounded. Our protectors are also using them now as a means for helping some of us who are more vulnerable to "tap out". If we get overwhelmed or feel unsafe, we can play a protector's song and it will push them to switch into the front to help us. Music is a powerful tool. We have aromatherapy lotion with us at all times. We don't have much luck with mints, or even cold water... but soda & coffee seems to work well. I think we just need that temperature difference along with the strong flavor. Brushing our teeth works though... so you would think mints would, but nope. LOL I think it's the fact that it's minty AND we're stimulating the gums. We play with our hair a lot, and rub it against our lips. I'm not sure why or when that started, but we've done it for years... I think since we were a child. People used to think we chew & suck on it, but it never gets wet. It's soothing. Some other things we do are rub, rub, rub our hands until they're warm and then smack our hands together. Instant grounding. It does bring attention, so we only do it when we're heavily dissociated and nothing else is working. It's also not comforting and calming at all. It's something our protectors tend to do so that they can hold the front. Our spouse will rub our arms with their fingers or rub our back, which is really relaxing and grounding. Of course our kitties are always a good one! We used to play with fidgets as well. Spinners, kinetic sand, cubes, hair ties, rubber bands, anything we can use to keep our hands busy. Crochet! We really need to pick that up again too... Unfortunately, unless it's something to drink, cold things are a negative trigger for us. We found that out the hard way when we tried ice in our hands... Thankfully, it was mild. Also, thankfully, it's a positive trigger for one of our high protectors now, so it's a situational thing for us now. But a hot shower is amazing for us. Scrolling Pinterest can be grounding for us too. It gives us something to focus on without being overstimulated. Humming, singing, repeating motivational quotes or funny things... Joe Dirt and Disney are fun because they can be motivational but also kind of silly. We try to keep it to short quotes so that they're easy to remember while we're dissociating. Here are a few of our favorites... Let it go like Elsa. Keep on keepin' on. Life's a garden... dig it. Keep moving forward. Keep on swimming... (bonus if we can get ourselves to sing it) (shortened) The past can hurt, but you can either run from it or learn from it. Hakuna matata. The universe is under no obligation to make sense to us. (alternative) I am under no obligation to make sense to you/anyone. Broken crayons still color. The light shines brighter next to the darkness. OH! And brownies!!! Obviously brownies are a good choice from grounding (unless you're allergic or something lol) Hope these are helpful additions. :) I have to ground a lot because I tend to dissociate heavily when there's any sort of stress. Thankfully I am heavily protected too. But I was happy to share my experiences. :D - Binxy Boi 💙 PS: I'm not a Little. Just smol right now... 😸
Rainy weather lover here! When it rains I find that very calming and grounding. The sounds the rain makes hitting off of the ground, leafs, windows etc. The smell of the rain in the air, the rain hitting against your skin and the coldness of the rain. Also when it's stopped raining that very crisp sharp fresh smell outside as well! Just thought I'd share for anyone who loves rain also!
I have mild to moderate anxiety, and I’ve found carrying a soft plushie helps me out a lot. Feeling the arm or the foot really helps if I’m feeling anxious. I didn’t know that was a grounding tool too.
Grounding is so important and normal! My therapist introduced me to a few grounding methods a few years back without me even knowing that they calmed me down and helped me to stop dissociating. Thanks for normalizing it through this video and thank you for talking about all of these different options!!❤
I like how you mentioned that it is not something that only nurodivergent may need to know. I am nurotypical, but in times where stress has overwhelmed me, I listen to a specific song to calm me down. It has a slow enough rhythm to slow my heartrate and breathing back down to normal and I really focus on listening to the beats in it. I may also try calming scents. This video was really helpful and also your voice is extremely relaxing and comforting.
I'm not a system but have bipolar disorder and I can definitely advocate for pets as support animals. I have a little Jack Russell who helps me see purpose when I'm in really long depressive episodes. Love the content y'all!
I loved the idea of looking back on a video or journal to understand things better. I also feel like it can help you recognize your own growth. I remember during the Positive Trigger video after a switch it took a moment for Kyle to reorient himself and him losing his train of thought in the process of trying to ground. To see Kya now talking through the grounding, just crumpling the paper, taking a sniff of a candle and continuing the thought at the same time was very heartwarming like wow I’m so proud of the progress and it’s not even my progress. I hope you feel just as (if not even more) proud too 🥰
Hi Kya and Co. Im delighted to see you back here where I first got introduced to you. I wonder, if possible: would you and the others consider making a new video introducing the alters? (littles obv. Not included)
I don't have DID so I just love watching your videos cause you are so calming BUT as soon as you mentioned derealization I was like omg I struggle with that sometimes and if I don't snap out of it I will get a panic attack so I could actually use some of these tips!!! which is actually really cool thank you!! :)
Definitely going to put some of these into use for when overstimulation makes me dissociate (focusing on a single sensation for grounding helps a lot!) thank you for the lovely video!
This is helping me so much! My therapist moved right after we started to discuss grounding. I do a lot of activism and started really dissociating when speaking to the chief during our recent police advisory meeting. It was so hard to mask and try to focus on what I was saying and I finished feeling like I made no sense because of how my body felt. I’m not sure anyone else noticed, but I will try the scented bracelet and a squish ball under the table for future meetings.
dissociadid i hope you guys remember after all the things you guys have gone through that you all genuinely help so many people feel like they can do something. i don't have DID, i think you know a lot of your viewers dont, but i have ADHD, anxiety, and depression. so sometimes it's hard to just live. your videos really help me distract calm down. i watch them now with my kitten i adopted. and whenever i get anxious and i just can't think straight i watch your videos and follow instructions almost. i know you probably won't read this because i'm commenting on an older video. but if you do i just want you to know how much i love and appreciate all of you. thank you
Slime and stuffed animals are the best for me. I get panic attacks that can be debilitating and as a teacher I need to be able to stay in control when I have students in my room. I started collecting stuffies in my classroom so I always have something to grab. I like ones that have a variety of textures as well.
I taught myself a discreet self grounding/soothing technique when I was a kid that I still use as a 30 something adult. I was quickly trained and shamed out of sucking my thumb when I was little but I had a classmate that hadn't been broken of the habit in the 5th grade. One of the parents of another classmate kept saying mean disparaging things about her habit. I immediately curled my thumb inside of my fist, raised it to my closed mouth and found a way to suck on my tongue to simulate sucking on my thumb. I kept up the ruse until he noticed and started harassing me. I revealed my trick and proceeded to mock him in an attempt to get back at him in the only way my 9yr old self knew how. I got my revenge on my classmates behalf and happily rediscovered a self soothing technique from my childhood. I often find myself sucking on my own tongue whenever I need a bit of extra comfort and no one else is the wiser.
Cats are *lovely* for grounding. I don't have as much problems with dissociating because I spiral instead of dissociating in traumatic situations but my cat Apollo always knows when it's happening. He hops up wherever I am and just furiously starts pawing at me or starts rubbing his face against my arm or my hand. If I'm crying, he'll flop right next to me and start smurgling. It is so difficult to spiral when you have this big, fluffy, purring ball next to you.
This video caught my eye because sometimes I feel so disconnected from my environment, which is one of the reason why I think I may have DID, OSDD, and so on, and it's terrible and sometimes makes my head hurt which makes me nauseous and then I have to take a nap. Some of the things I do to ground myself is to focus on my surroundings, and i also pinch myself (which is usually a way to see if im dissociated from pain and I usually am). I haven't found much else, but a lot of focusing on my surroundings is my best way.
Don’t have DID but I do have ptsd and I recently found that Pepsi is a positive memory grounding tool for me. I realized that during bad flashback days I can open a bottle of Pepsi and the smell and taste triggers a positive safe memory for me personally and that gets me out of the bad memory moments. So like you explain positive triggers for your system - positive memory triggers for myself are really helpful.
We haven’t been diagnosed (our therapist thinks it’s unproductive at this point to label it), but I think it’s ironic that so many people swarm forward when we watch one of your videos and that this one was about grounding. I’ve realized that a few of our littles front very quickly when your littles do in videos. It’s just interesting to see those trends and share that with our therapist.
I suffer from BPD and this type of videos really help me to deal with triggers my hyper emotional reactions. So even thought DID and BPD are really different, you´re helping me a lot by your content. Thank you so much
Hi! Thank you so much for this video, I’ve got a lava rock bracelet and I find it so so useful to ground with. Could you possibly make a video on when other alter’s emotions and memories bleed through and how you would deal with that, even when you know that those emotions and memories are not yours but you’re still experiencing it (sorry I hope that makes sense!)? I would find that really helpful. Keep doing what you’re all doing, I love your videos, they are so so amazing. -JJ Edit: or a video on the differences between DID and OSDD! I would find that really interesting
@@DissociaDID it would be really helpful for us to learn about the differences between different OSDD types and DID because I think we were misdiagnosed with the wrong OSDD maybe? and it’s confusing for us to understand the differences, having someone who is knowledgeable AND has DID explain it would be sooo helpful for us. No pressure at all though, seriously! Hope you all are doing well, your guys’s videos has helped us so much and i’m so thankful :) - Andy
Is Seraphina's name a reference to the Princess and the Pauper Barbie movie? I hope so!! The water drinking example is so wild cuz we do that too and I didn't even notice!! We have a hedgehog named Kazoo and he's a great help for grounding as well. Animals are the best
As a person with Anxiety who knows panic attacks, I appreciate your grounding tips 💜 Putting your hands in cold water is very grounding, that's true. Mint tip is actually genius 😄 I think that eating something you like might be grounding too 😋🌷
This video has been really helpful in making me more aware of how and when to ground! It also may sound silly but I tried some of these techniques in a Dungeons and Dragons session recently, as we were all going through a pretty traumatic experience in character, and I was able to help our most effected member not completely succumb to his anxiety. Goes to show these things work in almost any situation, real or in a fictional one.
Thank you. I've been dealing with dp/dr that came along with anxiety and I am worried that it will increase when I go back to school because it's been the source of most of my mental health issues. It feels good to be a bit more prepared for the school year than last time so it will be a smaller blow. Thank you guys for making such a wonderful safe space for neurodivergent folks. I appreciate it a lot.
I love how slime helps you to ground! I often make slimes myself and play with them just to relax but I didn’t think it could actually help people that way which is great😄 Even though I don’t have any mental health issues I enjoy watching your videos and to learn more about DID. To me it’s fascinating how the brain works but it’s very important to take care of yourself and your mental health. It’s just as important as physical health
In regards to breathing techniques or any grounding technique really, remember to practice them when you are calm and feel safe! So that when you begin to feel anxious and you practice them it has already been associated with a calm safe feeling!
This video has been really helpful, especially with how things are at the moment. Thank you everyone for this video, you’re all amazing! Sending love to everyone reading this x 💕
To see the person that you are now, you look so much confident, powerful and knowledgeable. All your system is and was amazing but seeing the confidence since the Chloe times to know is just amazing, seeing that you turned out to be like a big sis/brother to us. Thank you so much for being as strong as you are and push through so much pain and hard work to give the world the information and love that it needs, but never forget that you are first, that you are loved, accepted and have all our support
Hey, just want to say your helping me so much atm, my mental health is deteriorated over the past few years and your videos help me whilst I'm waiting to receive my therapy. Thank you
Thanks for sharing these different techniques! I struggle a lot with my Anxiety and Depression and lately find myself dissociating really hard.. I alway found these grounding techniques silly for myself but maybe I need to get really into it and try different things. Anyways, thank you for making such comforting and informative videos, it really helped me a lot in the past years💜
Our favourite grounding tool is our handbag! Its a teddy bear we customized, its head smells like vanilla. Its perfect because we always have it on hand, we can ground with cuddling or sniffing, we can ground through comfort objects we diy'd for it (e.g. crochet keyrings) and we can also ground with taking out our important/other grounding items (i.e. the keys can be cold, sharp but not slicey, and familiar reminder we have a different place now, these keys go to our freedom etc if were getting flashbacky) Highly recommend teddy bear/plushie bags if your sys can handle seeing plushies more constantly! You dont have to diy you can buy them too but it can be expensive. 🐻
"if you cant find a reason for yourself to get up in the morning, you can do it for your animals" made me start crying, such a validating statement, my animals are my life because they save it every day.
I made a comment on this video 4 months ago apparently, all I can say is that it wasn’t me, lol. These grounding skills really help me, thank you so much.
I don’t have DID but I have other mental illnesses and I dissociate quite often When you said along the lines of “it used to be ‘oh I’m dissociating’ but now it’s ‘oh, I need to ground’” really put it in perspective for me I have such difficulty “snapping out of it” and I didn’t really know I could train myself to make it milder or maybe even avoid it all together I just kind of…gave up and was like “okay we’re doing this now”
Okay first, I love the background. The art, the "you are safe" and the lighting, lovely, especially the words. And the look is bomb. This video is very calm and chill and I really needed that feeling, so thank you.
Something my Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) had us do was create a "to-go" self-soothe kit. Anything that can be used to help you stay mindful while you're feeling overwhelmed by emotion(s) that are particularly favorable to your senses. Right now I have a little coin purse/makeup bag with some rocks with nice texture, some different flavors of mints and gum, and dice to fiddle or mess around with, but it can include anything to a playlist of favorite songs, to clips of your pets' hair, fidget toys, pretty much anything. I know if I don't have something in my hands and I'm feeling overwhelmed I'll pick at my nails and mess with my hair. Another thing I'll add is that writing/journaling/art is very helpful to me when I've got an emotion storm. If I don't acknowledge my emotions and push them away they will only build and get worse, and if I'm gonna acknowledge them I might as well funnel it in a way that is grounding. It can be a difficult balance to maintain, but it helps me a lot to just stream of consciousness, whatever I'm thinking feeling into drawing, writing, or journaling. The rumbling and striking of my fingers flying on the keyboard as I type or the feel of my favorite pen on paper provides me a kind of stable foundation for which I can hold my own. And as a final tip, there's a DBT skill called TIPP for dealing with overwhelming emotions, which is a part of their "Distress Tolerance" section. My favorite skill is the T which stands for Temperature. What to you is take an ice pack or cold wash cloth, place it over your nose and eyes, and while standing up, bend over like you are going to dive into water. This tip comes from the study of animals whose heart rates and breathing slows down when they dive into the water, which is coined the Mammalian Dive Response. The cold and wet of the ice pack/washcloth activates the vagus nerve, triggering the Mammalian Dive Response to help trick your body into calming itself. It's party why baths and showers are so relaxing for many people! I know I'm a few days late to the game but I hope this is helpful to people! 🤟💕💕
If you have trouble staying grounded while watching tv or movies, i find turning on audio description (inverse of subtitles/it's a verbal narrator) and i find it helps my brain remember im watching a movie im not going anywhere im not in that world im just watching a screen
-- its not on everything, but its getting increasingly available on most popular media; some things have it being recorded right now, its just not available on that specific movie or show yet
I tend to wear jewelry and often use those to ground! Most commonly: necklace charms that I can hold (used to be a silver little centaur, now a pentagram. It having texture will always be a huge bonus), holding the necklace chain and fixing where the closing is (putting it back at the back of my neck after it’s shifted). I have a weird ring size so my rings are always a little too big, so I twist those around or fix them, and i often have beaded bracelets - more texture that I can rub my fingers on to ground myself! I’ve also picked up the thing Pepa does in Encanto, where she runs her hands down her hair. I most often do that if I’m wearing braids!
I was talking to my boss the other day about some things that came up personal life and I started getting extremely upset and anxious. He said, “I’ll be right back!” and got up and left his office. He came back with a lemon juice packet and told me to take a shot. It was a quick way to bring me back to his office and he explained it was a grounding technique since most people aren’t typically used to the sensations involved in sucking down some lemon juice. Thankful I have a boss who understands mental health, and thankful for you guys for educating me even further!
I have severe depression, have since i was a toddler. I recently got a hamster, a tiny little companion 😁 he makes me very happy, to be taking care of him is making me feel valuable and he is just aaaahdooorable 😍
I watched this video months ago and I bought a scented candle, made a playlist with songs that are familiar and comforting. I always forgot to use them but today, I suddenly remembered to use them when I was dissociating. It helped me greatly. So I decided to come back and thank you. You helped me a lot, I thank you so much. Thank all of you.
This might be too personal of a question but how has your body’s chronic fatigue been recently? I hope that with the legal proceedings and UA-cam that you’re not putting too much pressure on yourself to keep working.
this video is super helpful...we are currently helping a friend with cancer. he said that his biggest fear was what was gonna happen to his german shepard who is just 5 yrs old. even if she goes to a no-kill shelter, she'll starve herself and theyll have to give her the feeding tube because he had to leave for a few weeks a while back for cancer treatments. took us 2 weeks for her to feel comfortable enough to eat. we told him that we're thinking about taking his dog in, and that brought the biggest relief to his face. She tends to stick to our (system not family) backs because she can tell we're going through a lot. She'll be losing someone that she's attached to, and our fronting host lost her S.O. via breakup, and that kinda set her back in terms of mental health. thankfully, Izzy (the doggo in question) quickly soul bonded with all of us fairly quickly.
I Disassociate all the time and I have found that I can ground myself when I sing. So I often am always singing to myself or listening to music. I didn’t actually recognize I was doing this until I got to minute 17:00 in the video. Thanks so much for making this video.
I absolutely can't express enough how universally helpful your videos are! I don't have DID or any similar disorder, but I do have an eating disorder and tend to dissociate when I eat. Part of recovery is trying to stay present while eating and I struggle so much with this. I'm going to try your grounding techniques and see if they help!
Your videos always are such a healing message whenever I find them. Thank you so much for this as it really normalizes the feeling of needing to ground! Thank you so so very much.
I am allergic to animal furs. And thus, I never hat pets, I don't know how to take care of them, and I'm kind of afraid of them. And sometimes it makes me sad, because I imagine how much they can help you feel less alone, grounded, and give you a reason to get off your bed. I'm glad Seraphina is there for you 🥰✨ also, to anyone who reads this : you are amazing. You are valid. You are strong. You are beautiful. And I love you. Take care of you ✨
@@sari9645 that's so cute! What's her name? I guess my mom would never want to visit me if I have any sort of reptile though, she's so afraid of them 😅 but I'll keep the idea for sure! Thank you
as someone who struggles with really unhealthy/unsafe grounding methods, this video is super helpful. i don't have DID but i have issues with my mental health, and when i get overwhelmed i sort of feel disconnected from reality due to the lack of control. great video loves ❤
I’m still trying to learn about my dissociative disorder. My ex broke up with me and told me that he couldn’t handle me going from my “little” self to my “traumatized” self after he did something that triggered me and I never took the severity of my dissociation until then. It really sucks that it played such a big role in the ending of our relationship but your videos have helped so much. I realize he was never meant for me if he couldn’t at least make the effort to learn how my mind works and give me the space to express myself and heal. My therapist and I are still working on a diagnosis but she is so wonderful and so validating. It felt so unbelievable that even when I would talk about the different sides of me, my terrible memory and memory lapses it was always in a joking way as if my mind was putting on a show. Thank you for teaching us all how to handle such a difficult thing. My dissociation feels so fragile, if I feel too much I completely dissociate and have such a hard time sitting with emotions and memories so these techniques will be good for me as I heal
I have had a fidgety habit of itching, particularly on my arms and hands, since elementary school. It makes sense now that that is a habitual grounding technique, to try to keep me awake and focused and help combat my sleep disorder. Unfortunately, I've had to try to transfer this to other habits, since the itching can be damaging to my skin if I do it to often. As a frequent wearer of skirts, fidgeting with fabric is a great alternative! Drinking water also works well too.
I don't have DID but I do have PTSD, Chronic anxiety and panic disorder and severe paranoia and one thing I learned from my dad that really helps me with grounding, especially if I'm slipping into a flashback episode, is holding an ice cube in my hand. The immediate cold sensation helps bring my mind back to the present and helps me focus more on switching or dropping the ice because it is so cold, but the longer I hold it (switching hands if I need to) the more grounded I become. It doesn't always work but it has a pretty high success rate at least for me. Of course, be careful with ice burns! If it starts to genuinely hurt, either switch hands or put it back. I also always have either a plushie or a squishy within arm's reach of me, and I recently got a spinning anxiety ring that I keep on a necklace chain and I don't leave the house without it, I highly recommend one! (Mine was like $8.99 on Amazon). Squishies can be helpful as well because some are scented and they are soft and easy to fiddle with and feel. And plushies are just plushies haha they are awesome and come in all kinds of different comforting shapes, designs, and sizes! (I also use age regression as a coping method but I can get negatively triggered into it and squishies and plushies help a lot with that when I'm regressed.) I also never leave the house without cold water as that has helped me with everything I listed previously as well as asthma lol so water is a big help too. Thank you for making these videos! Not only have I learned a lot about how to help others, I have learned a lot about different coping skills/techniques that help me, and how to communicate to friends and family how they can help me too!
I don’t have DID but I have other mental illnesses and every time I watch your videos, you validate that it’s normal and to not continue to believe “somethings wrong with me” or “I’m cr&$@“. I also love seeing your new make up looks, I like to replicate them for fun on my free time. Your videos have helped me so much. I appreciate you kya, all of you. ❤️ such a beautiful group of individuals. Well lol you know what I mean 😂 I see you all as individuals. Keep it up lovely…. There are many people you are helping
Why did you bleep out crazy, or is it something else?
@@swiftly_produced2694 that word has been used against me in ever relationship I’ve ever been in. They used it to Manipulate me. To make me feel like somethings wrong with me. But rest assured, me and my son do not use that language. And I have made it very clear why saying something like that is not appropriate. Especially when someone’s actually feeling like that. It’s not OK you know?
@@swiftly_produced2694 thank you for asking :)
@@gonzos_9098 yeah i get it. Happy to see it's going well. Tell your kid: hello!
@@swiftly_produced2694 I will 😭 thank you!
I love that you’re never apologetic for Seraphina’s meows like most youtubers, even though a youtuber need never apologize for their animals intruding
Except if a youtuber's chimpanzee knocks camera on the ground xD
I think it's usually not apologising for the intrusion, it's more apologising for not editing it out and doing an extra take. Because if UA-camrs really thought their pets were intruding on the video, they would edit it out and you'd never see it
I tell my dog sometimes to "give me a hug". She jumps on me and the pressure helps ground me as well as petting her.
That is called Deep Pressure Therapy. My service dog is trained to apply DPT autonomously when my blood pressure drops because the pressure of her weight raises my BP faster. It is also commonly used for anxiety reduction and grounding among service dog users. Very helpful. Glad to hear your dog can help you, too, at home.
As someone who's practicing grounding skills with my therapist, this is a really helpful video idea. 💚
I don't have DID, but I have a dissociative seizure disorder, PNES (psychogenic non-epileptic seizures). I'm awake when my seizures happen but it feels like a dream, and I can barely control my body. I've found that my cat Kiki is actually a huge help to ground me back to reality. She sits on my chests and purrs, a very relaxing feeling on its own, then I pet her soft fur and just enjoy my pretty kitty and it calms down even some of my most violent seizures. I've also found that smelling candles helps as aromatherapy, I have two tiny candles small enough to hold in my palm, and I never light them. I just put them up to my nose and begin deep breathing.
Something else that can be used for panic attacks (and my seizures are essentially just intense panic attacks) is to put an icepack or cold cloth on the eyes and cheeks. It activates the mammalian diving reflex, instantly steadying the heartbeat and helping controlled breathing.
Thank you for sharing. I have panic attacks and I'm gonna try using the icepack! Breathing exercises never worked for me when I had strong anxiety, so I could never really stop my heartbeat and breathing from contributing to the panic response.
I never knew the science behind the cool/ice but it really really helps with my migraines and when I get a panic attack along side it! Thank you for sharing!
Yo dude I also have PNES! (Although I usually call them dissociative seizures)
As I write this I'm actually coming out of one, so far I'm still shaking and can't walk. When it started it was evening and now it's dark lol.
I've had them for coming up on 3 years now, yet I don't have many techniques to help them. I'm totally gonna try the ice pack thing! And I'm looking into having a service animal in the future!
This comment doesn't actually say much lol, just wanted to let you know you're not alone and reach out to someone I can relate too ^u^
The nurses are right! The ice pack seems like the most legendary item for soothing.
We also have PNES, we hadn’t looked into using ice packs for grounding in that circumstance but next time we’re definitely going to. Thanks for the advice, even if you weren’t meaning to give it!
- Lys
I love that they talked about how much time it takes to utilize grounding techniques beyond just knowing them. I've been really frustrated with myself before bc Ill have a bad time and then be like well I know this grounds me why didnt I do that?? Its one thing to know the grounding techniques and another thing entirely to 1. Recognize when you need to ground and 2. Make the effort to ground once you recognize the situation. It is all a journey and it is so nice to hear someone else talk about some of the steps along the way 🖤
As a cat person, that fluffy bum and that cute little “MEOWWW!!!” just made me squeal out loud 😍😍😍 Seraphina is just too cute, you’re all so lucky to have each other 💜💜💜
Love the vid. A very minor point, the shutter speed on your camera is causing some horizontal rolling banding with your lights. You can reduce the effect by dropping the shutter speed down to a minimum of 1:50 as any more may cause issues. Glad to see the new setup! Keep it up!
Thank you! Unfortunately our camera only has one shutter speed set in its presets so I'll need to figure out if there's a manual way to change it
Oooo I didn’t see that. You have a good eye! Do you have a job related to camera work?
@@amberlee7343 Hobby not professional, but I've done so much editing I can't stop looking for slight imperfections. The issues with this video are so minor I would absolutely use them as the take is really good.
I didn't notice until I read this. Now it's all I can see 😂😫
I don't have DID but I do have social anxiety and I think some of these might help me as well, so thank you.
Yeah, I do too. I hope this helps me :)
I love Seraphina. Anyone with pets totally understands them wanting to participate in videos / online meetings. My coworkers know them well now. 😁 I’m so glad you have her to bring joy & comfort!!
As someone diagnosed with panic disorder last year, I'm still trying to figure out how to ground myself in different scenarios and volumes of anxiety- so this is very helpful 🥺
I used to wear rings in my fingers and when I felt anxious is tapping the rings together rhythmically I would start fast then slow more and more . If you are having a hot flash with anxiety touch something cold then when your hand is cold enough I used to touch behind my neck, lower back or face. I used to unhook my bra and felt immediate relief. You can carry a small fan, scented wet wipes. Also deep breaths there are a lot of techniques of deep breathing but if you just remember to take a few deep breaths.
I’m autistic and most grounding techniques that work for me are very overstimulating, so it’s always a difficult decision if I “want” to be disassociated or overstimulated
i get this too. I just have to find things that calm my nervous system as opposed to stimulating it. for me thats white noise, repetitive movements like rocking and swaying, music that is familiar to me, and calming visuals like watching my fish. It's essentially stimming, just being mindful about it.
I have adhd and have a tendency for being overstimulated, and noise cancelling headphones have changed my life
You know I'm autistic as well minorly and I had never been overstimulated and had that experience until literally yesterday and it was all because I had a blister on the back of my knee like what the heck
Ironically, we were severely triggered whilst watching this video (from something unrelated) and so we followed your advice and were able to ground ourselves enough to finish the video. Great content as always, thank you Kya for doing what you do - the space raiders system
I have pretty severe anxiety and depression and dissociation/shutting down was my first line coping mechanism for a long time. These videos have helped me find better ways to deal with scary emotions and situations. Thank you so much for the work you do for not only the DID community, but for the rest of us dealing with tricky mental health situations.
Also, Seraphina is SO CUTE! Cats are the best.
My biggest default is dissociating. My stepmother triggered me, and my boyfriend didn't mean to make it worse. But he handled it really well and told me it was okay to feel what I felt.
@@riverwolf2889 that's a lesson I'm trying to learn too. Having people in your life that trigger you definitely sucks! Having good support is definitely empowering. I hope things get easier if they aren't already going in that direction.
Off topic but Kya and co, it's been so lovely to see you guys become more confident and comfortable on the internet (your tiktoks are my best) and that eye look is killer so kudos to whoever did it 🖤🖤
Seraphina: I’m the star of the show, Mom. Animals just know what’s going on with their pet parents. They connect with the person (or persons) and do things that make people feel comfort and love. They have that sense; it’s sweet and comforting, like y’all and Miss Seraphina; it keeps you stable and allows you to relax. If I ever get a pet, that would help me tremendously with my anxiety. Also, when I feel overwhelming anxiety, I hug a plushie like one of my Pokémon plushies and hold it close to me so that I can feel safe. It helps me a lot! I may be too old for plushies, but I don’t care. It helps me regardless of my age. Always have since I was a kid.
I’ve kinda felt embarrassed with how much I like plushies and stuff like that but they really do help! Especially scented ones. But I’m glad I’m not the only one haha
@@madeleinejo1496 You’re never too old, friend. 🤗
@@madeleinejo1496 absolutely about the scented ones yes. i love that strawberry scent, the lotso fun bear scent, mmmmm so comforting and grounding.
Trigger warning: self harm
As someone who feels like they're mental health is flip flopping a lot due to therapy bringing up trauma I need to face to heal... thank you for this video. I really appreciate it!
My therapist wants me to self regulate in healthy ways instead of relying on my husband all the time or relying on hurting myself such as digging my nails into my skin or biting myself. Stop relying on pain to break my brain out of anxiety
I also tend to be very noticeable when I start to get overwhelmed possible due to my autism. When I tap, it is more of banging my hand against my legs. My husband understands what's going on, but others may not. So thank you for this video! I really appreciate it!
I absolutely relate to this. When I'm nervous or having a panic attack, I tend to scratch or claw into my arms and a headmate of mine has been helping me realize not to do that so I don't hurt myself. It's really hard trying to unlearn bad habits especially when you're triggered so good luck!
@@worknotinprogress7172 Agreed. My husband has me grab his hand for my nails, but it's not the same... Good luck to you as well. We got this!
I have similar coping skills...they are so instantly helpful which makes it so hard to stop...but it's also really scary for people who notice and it's not the best for me in the long run. Good luck to us all as we work towards healthier self regulation.
Try slime. I have trichotillomania and Autism and slime has been a good breakthrough. There's all sorts of slime these days. I've really gotten into bingsu slimy which makes all sorts of fun crunchy sounds and I can dig my nails in it and the beads feel great against my hands. Clear slime is great when I want to beat my fingers. I'm having fun with slime but still learning fabric and slime don't mix!
@@KateandBree I've tried slime. I got it in a mystery box with other things. My brain just personally cannot process it. It doesn't understand what to do with it. I think my ADHD kicks in and it's not a strong enough stimuli for me. I really appreciate the suggestion!
"Gentle and validating"- love that! ^v^
I feel this.
Thank you for this, it is so helpful for me. When you said "if you can't get out of bed for you, do it for your animals" changed my perspective so much. Also I love how you normalize grounding for everybody, not just DID/OSDD systems or people that are mentally ill. Your work is amazing ❤
A few other grounding techniques I use:
• Just breathing deeply. Breathe in for 5 sec, hold for 5 sec, breathe out for 5 sec, and hold it again for 5 sec. This really helps my when I'm have a panic attack, depressive episode, I'm feeling angry, or anything really
• Going outside. This might not work for some people, but if you're having a depressive episode, seeing people, breathing in fresh air and being peaceful can help.
• Talking to yourself. I have made multiple characters that represent different parts of me. I like talking to them and making my own universes. It's like a little escape for reality that you can modify.
• Singing a happy or peaceful tune. It can be from a song, or something you made. It doesn't matter as long as it make you feel better.
• Drawing. Whether it be a vent, or abstract, it's really grounding. It takes your mind off things while your in the moment.
• Play with rubber bands. You can link them, make shapes, shoot them, or just stretch them. You can do it while processing memories/thoughts or thinking.
I'll add more if I remember any, or if she said any(I haven't watched the whole video yet). Stay happy, healthy and safe💖💖
Serafina is the star of this video you cannot change my mind. Great educational video, I never thought about me biting my lip as grounding. Just a bad habit but it makes sense now.
I do crafts to keep grounded. Crochet is my favorite but I also do embroidery. I love it because it keeps me in the present, and when I'm done I always feel so good about myself.
I just realized why I have been so anxious these past few weeks, an anniversary is coming up of a trauma in September and watching you speak about tapping and calm etc helped me see that. Not a system here just another traumatised person who can use any advice they can get so thank you!
Currently got sensory overload and I am dissociated so this got uploaded at a perfect time🙃
Those are never fun, something we find helpful with sensory overloads depending on how intense the overload is, is using ear defenders or something to help cancel out the noise even just a little bit.
- another thing is using sunglasses to help block out excess light, this is more if we’re in a public place bc we can’t exactly use an eye mask but the sunglasses will at least help dim the lights.
- something else is if we’re wearing any bracelets or rings (which we typically are bc we don’t like taking the rings off bc of the sensory aspect of our autism) to take them all off bc the feeling of them against our skin is too much, unfortunately for this aspect there’s not much else that can be done when you’re in a public place.
- if necessary try carrying something to either help block out excess smells or something to counteract the other smells with a smell you like, for example a scented lip balm not necessarily something strong something simple like a strawberry or vanilla scent can help.
Hopefully some of these are at least slightly helpful if I figure out any others that might be at least slightly helpful I’ll update this with either an edit or a new comment.
This video is so incredibly helpful. As someone who struggles with depersonalization and derealization pretty frequently, I struggle with grounding techniques. Thank you so much 💜💜💜
the little who paid over twice the alotted amount for the toy is BASED and they're amazing but i also adore the one who respected the limit, that's so cute
im glad you dont talk about them much, so glad they are safe
This video came at the perfect time, my anxiety and panic has been making a comeback lately because there’s a huge change going on in my life right now. I really needed this, thank you!
When I was a child, I had beyblades. And I loved beyblades. I used to just hold them in my hand and feel for every single detail. Now I'm older and more anxious, i have a beyblade. The little amount of force used to make it spin. How it looks and spins. And the sound is IMMENSLY grounding. People should try it more (if it isn't triggering to others)
I've experienced derealization twice and I felt so stuck. It lasted for well over an hour. The first time, I ended up calling my dad, asking him to drive me around the neighborhood and I could see all the holiday lights (I was finishing a final Christmas Eve with my extention). Now knowing some actual active things to do should help. Thank you so much!
What you did was great though!
My friend sent me a few of your videos bc my boyfriend might have did, hes not diagnosed but he's pretty sure he has it. I've only watched 3 of your videos so far but your helping me learn how to be a good support system and partner for him, thank you
I don't have DID but I love your channel and watch all your videos even if it's not on a topic helpful to me specifically. I suffered a traumatic event a few months ago and the flashbacks have been very disruptive, so this video couldn't have come at a more perfect time. I'm definitely going to use these techniques. Thank you for making such educational and compassionate content!
thank you so much for all your content, it’s really helpful and educational. it’s also really great to see a genderfluid person making videos, it makes me feel much less alone about myself being genderfluid !! 💛💛 love you all
I'm neurodivergent and I tend to stim a lot, especially in situations where I feel anxious. I've found that was really works for me is playing with my rings and touching a rock, but I can fidget with pretty much anything. I think the texture is what does it.
Love that you talked about pets! It sounds sort of sad but it really is true that if you struggle with your mental health, having a pet you need to take care of everyday can really help motivate you. I have a dog and that means I cannot spend a whole day or weekend in bed, she's gotta go out for walks and that means so do I!
If you did asmr, my month would be MADE. your videos are already like that for me, and if it was an intentionally tingly educational video, that would be AMAZING. Love your work and thanks for another video! ❤
I have my bunnies 🐰 to help me to stay grounded. They are pretty chill and love to cuddle and be pet, so that helps me immensely 😊
I also bought a putty from a store that's for anxiety, it helps me so much and I can bring it everywhere with me. Did wonders when I would get anxious in class
Thank you for the update: I’ve had a lot of luck with grounding using a rough quartz crystal, smells, and journaling. I don’t have a dissociative disorder but I do have anxiety/depression/ptsd triggers and I find this video very helpful ❤️ Thank you for being so open and talking about mental health which continues to be heavily stigmatized. It’s appreciated
hi :) i just wanted to thank you all- i found your videos a long time ago when i was really young, and learning about how to manage mental health at a young age helped me to be more comfortable with it as i grew up. i am a part of a did system, and because of you guys our communication has improved greatly :> we cannot thank you enough 💞💞💞
A lot of us have songs that we have hyper-fixated on and have become positive triggers for us. Unfortunately, it can cause spontaneous switches when the song randomly plays.... lol We used to fight it, try to break those triggers. But now, we just roll with it. If one of those alters are already out, they can listen to "their song" on repeat to keep grounded. Our protectors are also using them now as a means for helping some of us who are more vulnerable to "tap out". If we get overwhelmed or feel unsafe, we can play a protector's song and it will push them to switch into the front to help us. Music is a powerful tool.
We have aromatherapy lotion with us at all times. We don't have much luck with mints, or even cold water... but soda & coffee seems to work well. I think we just need that temperature difference along with the strong flavor.
Brushing our teeth works though... so you would think mints would, but nope. LOL I think it's the fact that it's minty AND we're stimulating the gums.
We play with our hair a lot, and rub it against our lips. I'm not sure why or when that started, but we've done it for years... I think since we were a child. People used to think we chew & suck on it, but it never gets wet. It's soothing.
Some other things we do are rub, rub, rub our hands until they're warm and then smack our hands together. Instant grounding. It does bring attention, so we only do it when we're heavily dissociated and nothing else is working. It's also not comforting and calming at all. It's something our protectors tend to do so that they can hold the front.
Our spouse will rub our arms with their fingers or rub our back, which is really relaxing and grounding.
Of course our kitties are always a good one!
We used to play with fidgets as well. Spinners, kinetic sand, cubes, hair ties, rubber bands, anything we can use to keep our hands busy.
Crochet! We really need to pick that up again too...
Unfortunately, unless it's something to drink, cold things are a negative trigger for us. We found that out the hard way when we tried ice in our hands... Thankfully, it was mild. Also, thankfully, it's a positive trigger for one of our high protectors now, so it's a situational thing for us now. But a hot shower is amazing for us.
Scrolling Pinterest can be grounding for us too. It gives us something to focus on without being overstimulated.
Humming, singing, repeating motivational quotes or funny things... Joe Dirt and Disney are fun because they can be motivational but also kind of silly. We try to keep it to short quotes so that they're easy to remember while we're dissociating.
Here are a few of our favorites...
Let it go like Elsa.
Keep on keepin' on.
Life's a garden... dig it.
Keep moving forward.
Keep on swimming... (bonus if we can get ourselves to sing it)
(shortened) The past can hurt, but you can either run from it or learn from it.
Hakuna matata.
The universe is under no obligation to make sense to us.
(alternative) I am under no obligation to make sense to you/anyone.
Broken crayons still color.
The light shines brighter next to the darkness.
OH! And brownies!!! Obviously brownies are a good choice from grounding (unless you're allergic or something lol)
Hope these are helpful additions. :) I have to ground a lot because I tend to dissociate heavily when there's any sort of stress. Thankfully I am heavily protected too. But I was happy to share my experiences. :D
- Binxy Boi 💙
PS: I'm not a Little. Just smol right now... 😸
Rainy weather lover here!
When it rains I find that very calming and grounding. The sounds the rain makes hitting off of the ground, leafs, windows etc. The smell of the rain in the air, the rain hitting against your skin and the coldness of the rain. Also when it's stopped raining that very crisp sharp fresh smell outside as well!
Just thought I'd share for anyone who loves rain also!
I have mild to moderate anxiety, and I’ve found carrying a soft plushie helps me out a lot. Feeling the arm or the foot really helps if I’m feeling anxious. I didn’t know that was a grounding tool too.
Grounding is so important and normal! My therapist introduced me to a few grounding methods a few years back without me even knowing that they calmed me down and helped me to stop dissociating. Thanks for normalizing it through this video and thank you for talking about all of these different options!!❤
I like how you mentioned that it is not something that only nurodivergent may need to know. I am nurotypical, but in times where stress has overwhelmed me, I listen to a specific song to calm me down. It has a slow enough rhythm to slow my heartrate and breathing back down to normal and I really focus on listening to the beats in it. I may also try calming scents. This video was really helpful and also your voice is extremely relaxing and comforting.
I'm not a system but have bipolar disorder and I can definitely advocate for pets as support animals. I have a little Jack Russell who helps me see purpose when I'm in really long depressive episodes. Love the content y'all!
I've had a mental health flare up recently with a massive low mood drop and these tips are suuuuper helpful so thank you ❤️✨
Yay! Very appreciated for a system that's still learning how to do things!
I loved the idea of looking back on a video or journal to understand things better. I also feel like it can help you recognize your own growth. I remember during the Positive Trigger video after a switch it took a moment for Kyle to reorient himself and him losing his train of thought in the process of trying to ground. To see Kya now talking through the grounding, just crumpling the paper, taking a sniff of a candle and continuing the thought at the same time was very heartwarming like wow I’m so proud of the progress and it’s not even my progress. I hope you feel just as (if not even more) proud too 🥰
Hi Kya and Co. Im delighted to see you back here where I first got introduced to you. I wonder, if possible: would you and the others consider making a new video introducing the alters?
(littles obv. Not included)
We are working on that 💖
I don't have DID so I just love watching your videos cause you are so calming BUT as soon as you mentioned derealization I was like omg I struggle with that sometimes and if I don't snap out of it I will get a panic attack so I could actually use some of these tips!!! which is actually really cool thank you!! :)
Definitely going to put some of these into use for when overstimulation makes me dissociate (focusing on a single sensation for grounding helps a lot!) thank you for the lovely video!
This is helping me so much! My therapist moved right after we started to discuss grounding. I do a lot of activism and started really dissociating when speaking to the chief during our recent police advisory meeting. It was so hard to mask and try to focus on what I was saying and I finished feeling like I made no sense because of how my body felt. I’m not sure anyone else noticed, but I will try the scented bracelet and a squish ball under the table for future meetings.
dissociadid i hope you guys remember after all the things you guys have gone through that you all genuinely help so many people feel like they can do something. i don't have DID, i think you know a lot of your viewers dont, but i have ADHD, anxiety, and depression. so sometimes it's hard to just live. your videos really help me distract calm down. i watch them now with my kitten i adopted. and whenever i get anxious and i just can't think straight i watch your videos and follow instructions almost. i know you probably won't read this because i'm commenting on an older video. but if you do i just want you to know how much i love and appreciate all of you. thank you
Slime and stuffed animals are the best for me. I get panic attacks that can be debilitating and as a teacher I need to be able to stay in control when I have students in my room.
I started collecting stuffies in my classroom so I always have something to grab. I like ones that have a variety of textures as well.
I taught myself a discreet self grounding/soothing technique when I was a kid that I still use as a 30 something adult. I was quickly trained and shamed out of sucking my thumb when I was little but I had a classmate that hadn't been broken of the habit in the 5th grade. One of the parents of another classmate kept saying mean disparaging things about her habit. I immediately curled my thumb inside of my fist, raised it to my closed mouth and found a way to suck on my tongue to simulate sucking on my thumb. I kept up the ruse until he noticed and started harassing me. I revealed my trick and proceeded to mock him in an attempt to get back at him in the only way my 9yr old self knew how. I got my revenge on my classmates behalf and happily rediscovered a self soothing technique from my childhood. I often find myself sucking on my own tongue whenever I need a bit of extra comfort and no one else is the wiser.
Cats are *lovely* for grounding. I don't have as much problems with dissociating because I spiral instead of dissociating in traumatic situations but my cat Apollo always knows when it's happening. He hops up wherever I am and just furiously starts pawing at me or starts rubbing his face against my arm or my hand. If I'm crying, he'll flop right next to me and start smurgling. It is so difficult to spiral when you have this big, fluffy, purring ball next to you.
This video caught my eye because sometimes I feel so disconnected from my environment, which is one of the reason why I think I may have DID, OSDD, and so on, and it's terrible and sometimes makes my head hurt which makes me nauseous and then I have to take a nap.
Some of the things I do to ground myself is to focus on my surroundings, and i also pinch myself (which is usually a way to see if im dissociated from pain and I usually am). I haven't found much else, but a lot of focusing on my surroundings is my best way.
Don’t have DID but I do have ptsd and I recently found that Pepsi is a positive memory grounding tool for me. I realized that during bad flashback days I can open a bottle of Pepsi and the smell and taste triggers a positive safe memory for me personally and that gets me out of the bad memory moments. So like you explain positive triggers for your system - positive memory triggers for myself are really helpful.
We haven’t been diagnosed (our therapist thinks it’s unproductive at this point to label it), but I think it’s ironic that so many people swarm forward when we watch one of your videos and that this one was about grounding. I’ve realized that a few of our littles front very quickly when your littles do in videos. It’s just interesting to see those trends and share that with our therapist.
I struggle with mental illnesses that could benefit from grounding techniques so I very very much appreciate this video 💜💜
I suffer from BPD and this type of videos really help me to deal with triggers my hyper emotional reactions. So even thought DID and BPD are really different, you´re helping me a lot by your content.
Thank you so much
We just learned my boyfriend has DID and I’m trying to watch you to learn to help him out. Thank you for making this knowledge known.
had a triggered panick attack just as i had found this video and it reminded me to do grounding exercises, thank you so much for making this
Hi! Thank you so much for this video, I’ve got a lava rock bracelet and I find it so so useful to ground with. Could you possibly make a video on when other alter’s emotions and memories bleed through and how you would deal with that, even when you know that those emotions and memories are not yours but you’re still experiencing it (sorry I hope that makes sense!)? I would find that really helpful. Keep doing what you’re all doing, I love your videos, they are so so amazing. -JJ
Edit: or a video on the differences between DID and OSDD! I would find that really interesting
We can try!
@@DissociaDID Thank you so much! Don’t worry at all if not, take care of yourselves! 💕
@@DissociaDID it would be really helpful for us to learn about the differences between different OSDD types and DID because I think we were misdiagnosed with the wrong OSDD maybe? and it’s confusing for us to understand the differences, having someone who is knowledgeable AND has DID explain it would be sooo helpful for us. No pressure at all though, seriously! Hope you all are doing well, your guys’s videos has helped us so much and i’m so thankful :) - Andy
Oh my gosh pls a vid abt OSDD is gonna make things so much more clearer for us
But no rush, perfectly fine that it’s not made
Is Seraphina's name a reference to the Princess and the Pauper Barbie movie? I hope so!!
The water drinking example is so wild cuz we do that too and I didn't even notice!! We have a hedgehog named Kazoo and he's a great help for grounding as well. Animals are the best
i suffer from panic attacks and i've started to learn/implement some grounding techniques, this was very helpful
As a person with Anxiety who knows panic attacks, I appreciate your grounding tips 💜
Putting your hands in cold water is very grounding, that's true.
Mint tip is actually genius 😄
I think that eating something you like might be grounding too 😋🌷
I’m so happy y’all are back! Y’all absence had me depressed already, I don’t have DID but have learned so much with you guys 💜🌸❤️
This video has been really helpful in making me more aware of how and when to ground! It also may sound silly but I tried some of these techniques in a Dungeons and Dragons session recently, as we were all going through a pretty traumatic experience in character, and I was able to help our most effected member not completely succumb to his anxiety. Goes to show these things work in almost any situation, real or in a fictional one.
Thank you. I've been dealing with dp/dr that came along with anxiety and I am worried that it will increase when I go back to school because it's been the source of most of my mental health issues. It feels good to be a bit more prepared for the school year than last time so it will be a smaller blow. Thank you guys for making such a wonderful safe space for neurodivergent folks. I appreciate it a lot.
I love how slime helps you to ground! I often make slimes myself and play with them just to relax but I didn’t think it could actually help people that way which is great😄
Even though I don’t have any mental health issues I enjoy watching your videos and to learn more about DID. To me it’s fascinating how the brain works but it’s very important to take care of yourself and your mental health. It’s just as important as physical health
In regards to breathing techniques or any grounding technique really, remember to practice them when you are calm and feel safe! So that when you begin to feel anxious and you practice them it has already been associated with a calm safe feeling!
Hope everyone is having a wonderful day or night
You too!
This video has been really helpful, especially with how things are at the moment. Thank you everyone for this video, you’re all amazing! Sending love to everyone reading this x 💕
To see the person that you are now, you look so much confident, powerful and knowledgeable. All your system is and was amazing but seeing the confidence since the Chloe times to know is just amazing, seeing that you turned out to be like a big sis/brother to us. Thank you so much for being as strong as you are and push through so much pain and hard work to give the world the information and love that it needs, but never forget that you are first, that you are loved, accepted and have all our support
Hey, just want to say your helping me so much atm, my mental health is deteriorated over the past few years and your videos help me whilst I'm waiting to receive my therapy. Thank you
Don’t have DID but this will definitely help with my anxiety, I struggle with dissociation too so thanks !
Thanks for sharing these different techniques! I struggle a lot with my Anxiety and Depression and lately find myself dissociating really hard.. I alway found these grounding techniques silly for myself but maybe I need to get really into it and try different things. Anyways, thank you for making such comforting and informative videos, it really helped me a lot in the past years💜
Our favourite grounding tool is our handbag! Its a teddy bear we customized, its head smells like vanilla. Its perfect because we always have it on hand, we can ground with cuddling or sniffing, we can ground through comfort objects we diy'd for it (e.g. crochet keyrings) and we can also ground with taking out our important/other grounding items (i.e. the keys can be cold, sharp but not slicey, and familiar reminder we have a different place now, these keys go to our freedom etc if were getting flashbacky)
Highly recommend teddy bear/plushie bags if your sys can handle seeing plushies more constantly! You dont have to diy you can buy them too but it can be expensive. 🐻
"if you cant find a reason for yourself to get up in the morning, you can do it for your animals" made me start crying, such a validating statement, my animals are my life because they save it every day.
I made a comment on this video 4 months ago apparently, all I can say is that it wasn’t me, lol. These grounding skills really help me, thank you so much.
I don’t have DID but I have other mental illnesses and I dissociate quite often
When you said along the lines of “it used to be ‘oh I’m dissociating’ but now it’s ‘oh, I need to ground’” really put it in perspective for me
I have such difficulty “snapping out of it” and I didn’t really know I could train myself to make it milder or maybe even avoid it all together
I just kind of…gave up and was like “okay we’re doing this now”
Okay first, I love the background. The art, the "you are safe" and the lighting, lovely, especially the words. And the look is bomb.
This video is very calm and chill and I really needed that feeling, so thank you.
Something my Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) had us do was create a "to-go" self-soothe kit. Anything that can be used to help you stay mindful while you're feeling overwhelmed by emotion(s) that are particularly favorable to your senses. Right now I have a little coin purse/makeup bag with some rocks with nice texture, some different flavors of mints and gum, and dice to fiddle or mess around with, but it can include anything to a playlist of favorite songs, to clips of your pets' hair, fidget toys, pretty much anything. I know if I don't have something in my hands and I'm feeling overwhelmed I'll pick at my nails and mess with my hair.
Another thing I'll add is that writing/journaling/art is very helpful to me when I've got an emotion storm. If I don't acknowledge my emotions and push them away they will only build and get worse, and if I'm gonna acknowledge them I might as well funnel it in a way that is grounding. It can be a difficult balance to maintain, but it helps me a lot to just stream of consciousness, whatever I'm thinking feeling into drawing, writing, or journaling. The rumbling and striking of my fingers flying on the keyboard as I type or the feel of my favorite pen on paper provides me a kind of stable foundation for which I can hold my own.
And as a final tip, there's a DBT skill called TIPP for dealing with overwhelming emotions, which is a part of their "Distress Tolerance" section. My favorite skill is the T which stands for Temperature. What to you is take an ice pack or cold wash cloth, place it over your nose and eyes, and while standing up, bend over like you are going to dive into water. This tip comes from the study of animals whose heart rates and breathing slows down when they dive into the water, which is coined the Mammalian Dive Response. The cold and wet of the ice pack/washcloth activates the vagus nerve, triggering the Mammalian Dive Response to help trick your body into calming itself. It's party why baths and showers are so relaxing for many people!
I know I'm a few days late to the game but I hope this is helpful to people! 🤟💕💕
If you have trouble staying grounded while watching tv or movies, i find turning on audio description (inverse of subtitles/it's a verbal narrator) and i find it helps my brain remember im watching a movie im not going anywhere im not in that world im just watching a screen
-- its not on everything, but its getting increasingly available on most popular media; some things have it being recorded right now, its just not available on that specific movie or show yet
I tend to wear jewelry and often use those to ground! Most commonly: necklace charms that I can hold (used to be a silver little centaur, now a pentagram. It having texture will always be a huge bonus), holding the necklace chain and fixing where the closing is (putting it back at the back of my neck after it’s shifted). I have a weird ring size so my rings are always a little too big, so I twist those around or fix them, and i often have beaded bracelets - more texture that I can rub my fingers on to ground myself!
I’ve also picked up the thing Pepa does in Encanto, where she runs her hands down her hair. I most often do that if I’m wearing braids!
I was talking to my boss the other day about some things that came up personal life and I started getting extremely upset and anxious. He said, “I’ll be right back!” and got up and left his office. He came back with a lemon juice packet and told me to take a shot. It was a quick way to bring me back to his office and he explained it was a grounding technique since most people aren’t typically used to the sensations involved in sucking down some lemon juice. Thankful I have a boss who understands mental health, and thankful for you guys for educating me even further!
I have severe depression, have since i was a toddler. I recently got a hamster, a tiny little companion 😁 he makes me very happy, to be taking care of him is making me feel valuable and he is just aaaahdooorable 😍
I watched this video months ago and I bought a scented candle, made a playlist with songs that are familiar and comforting. I always forgot to use them but today, I suddenly remembered to use them when I was dissociating. It helped me greatly. So I decided to come back and thank you. You helped me a lot, I thank you so much. Thank all of you.
This might be too personal of a question but how has your body’s chronic fatigue been recently? I hope that with the legal proceedings and UA-cam that you’re not putting too much pressure on yourself to keep working.
this video is super helpful...we are currently helping a friend with cancer. he said that his biggest fear was what was gonna happen to his german shepard who is just 5 yrs old. even if she goes to a no-kill shelter, she'll starve herself and theyll have to give her the feeding tube because he had to leave for a few weeks a while back for cancer treatments. took us 2 weeks for her to feel comfortable enough to eat. we told him that we're thinking about taking his dog in, and that brought the biggest relief to his face. She tends to stick to our (system not family) backs because she can tell we're going through a lot. She'll be losing someone that she's attached to, and our fronting host lost her S.O. via breakup, and that kinda set her back in terms of mental health. thankfully, Izzy (the doggo in question) quickly soul bonded with all of us fairly quickly.
I Disassociate all the time and I have found that I can ground myself when I sing. So I often am always singing to myself or listening to music. I didn’t actually recognize I was doing this until I got to minute 17:00 in the video. Thanks so much for making this video.
i started dissociating (not DID or OSDD, just general mental health stuff) a while ago, so this stuff was really helpful, thanks!!
I absolutely can't express enough how universally helpful your videos are! I don't have DID or any similar disorder, but I do have an eating disorder and tend to dissociate when I eat. Part of recovery is trying to stay present while eating and I struggle so much with this. I'm going to try your grounding techniques and see if they help!
Your videos always are such a healing message whenever I find them. Thank you so much for this as it really normalizes the feeling of needing to ground! Thank you so so very much.
I am allergic to animal furs. And thus, I never hat pets, I don't know how to take care of them, and I'm kind of afraid of them. And sometimes it makes me sad, because I imagine how much they can help you feel less alone, grounded, and give you a reason to get off your bed. I'm glad Seraphina is there for you 🥰✨ also, to anyone who reads this : you are amazing. You are valid. You are strong. You are beautiful. And I love you. Take care of you ✨
You can always get reptiles! I have a snake and she’s a total sweetheart ❤️
@@sari9645 that's so cute! What's her name?
I guess my mom would never want to visit me if I have any sort of reptile though, she's so afraid of them 😅 but I'll keep the idea for sure! Thank you
@@craquinette685 her name is freya!!
@@sari9645 adorable! Please give her a hug for me ✨♥️
as someone who struggles with really unhealthy/unsafe grounding methods, this video is super helpful. i don't have DID but i have issues with my mental health, and when i get overwhelmed i sort of feel disconnected from reality due to the lack of control. great video loves ❤
I’m still trying to learn about my dissociative disorder. My ex broke up with me and told me that he couldn’t handle me going from my “little” self to my “traumatized” self after he did something that triggered me and I never took the severity of my dissociation until then. It really sucks that it played such a big role in the ending of our relationship but your videos have helped so much. I realize he was never meant for me if he couldn’t at least make the effort to learn how my mind works and give me the space to express myself and heal. My therapist and I are still working on a diagnosis but she is so wonderful and so validating. It felt so unbelievable that even when I would talk about the different sides of me, my terrible memory and memory lapses it was always in a joking way as if my mind was putting on a show. Thank you for teaching us all how to handle such a difficult thing. My dissociation feels so fragile, if I feel too much I completely dissociate and have such a hard time sitting with emotions and memories so these techniques will be good for me as I heal
I have had a fidgety habit of itching, particularly on my arms and hands, since elementary school. It makes sense now that that is a habitual grounding technique, to try to keep me awake and focused and help combat my sleep disorder. Unfortunately, I've had to try to transfer this to other habits, since the itching can be damaging to my skin if I do it to often. As a frequent wearer of skirts, fidgeting with fabric is a great alternative! Drinking water also works well too.
I don't have DID or other mental illnesses, but when I feel stressed or anxious, I find that chewing gum calls me down and makes me feel better
I don't have DID but I do have PTSD, Chronic anxiety and panic disorder and severe paranoia and one thing I learned from my dad that really helps me with grounding, especially if I'm slipping into a flashback episode, is holding an ice cube in my hand. The immediate cold sensation helps bring my mind back to the present and helps me focus more on switching or dropping the ice because it is so cold, but the longer I hold it (switching hands if I need to) the more grounded I become. It doesn't always work but it has a pretty high success rate at least for me. Of course, be careful with ice burns! If it starts to genuinely hurt, either switch hands or put it back. I also always have either a plushie or a squishy within arm's reach of me, and I recently got a spinning anxiety ring that I keep on a necklace chain and I don't leave the house without it, I highly recommend one! (Mine was like $8.99 on Amazon). Squishies can be helpful as well because some are scented and they are soft and easy to fiddle with and feel. And plushies are just plushies haha they are awesome and come in all kinds of different comforting shapes, designs, and sizes! (I also use age regression as a coping method but I can get negatively triggered into it and squishies and plushies help a lot with that when I'm regressed.) I also never leave the house without cold water as that has helped me with everything I listed previously as well as asthma lol so water is a big help too. Thank you for making these videos! Not only have I learned a lot about how to help others, I have learned a lot about different coping skills/techniques that help me, and how to communicate to friends and family how they can help me too!