We all know the importance of self-care, especially when having a r/s with a pwBPD. I think we all have those critical moments when the emotional pain gets to be too much & we grasp for anything that can help us in those moments.
Well, I have a chronic pain disorder which sometimes causes me excruciating pain "flares." It's really not unlike those unbearable times of emotional pain we suffer within our r/s with our pwBPD. Pain is pain - whether physical or emotional.
So I thought I'd share with you all a suggestion my therapist gave me to create a "self-care kit" for my pain flares, which I now also use to calm my emotional pain:
Take a box or other container (for me it's an antique tin from a late family member) & put items in it that soothe you. The idea is to have something to reach for in those moments of pain. Something you don't have to think about. A respite, a relief, a safety blanket - tailored from personal items that calm you.
I filled my kit with silly, fun distracting items: a small container of play-doh, a couple of stress balls, an incense stick in my favorite scent, a list of things I'm grateful for, a list of attributes I like about myself, some calming music & a list of funny websites to check out to make me laugh (my personal favorite is googling "goats screaming like humans".
I know this helps me a great deal. So just wanted to share with you all in hope that it will help.
If you decide to make a kit for yourself, please list some items you've put in it. I'm curious, and it might help others here too.
-bananas2
