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What is Grounding?

Grounding is a set of active, healthy distractive strategies that works by focusing outward on the external world rather than inward to self.  Grounding helps to focus away from emotional pain.

Why do Grounding?

When a person is overwhelmed with emotional pain, he/she needs a way to detach from that pain so that they can gain control over their feelings and stay safe.  When a person stays grounded, they cannot possibly use substances or hurt themselves.  Grounding anchor’s self to the present and to reality.  Many people with PTSD and substance abuse struggle with either feeling too much (overwhelming emotions and memories) or too little (numbing and dissociation).  In grounding, you attain balance between the two.  Grounding puts a healthy distance from you and the negative feelings.

Guiding Principles and Strategies

1.      Grounding can be done at any time, any place, anywhere, and no one has to know

2.      Grounding is used when a person is faced with a trigger, flashback, dissociation, having a substance craving, or when emotional pain goes above six on a scale of 0-10.

3.      Rate your mood before and after to test whether grounding worked.

4.      Stay neutral.  Do not use judgments of good or bad.

5.      Do not talk or write about negative feelings.6.      Keep your eyes open and turn the light on to stay in touch with the present.7.      Focus on the present, not the past or the future.

Grounding Tools

1.       Rubbing your fingers or hands on an object that will get your attention off the pain and into the present.  For example, ice, a rock, a squishy or rubber ball, a comb or brush, -- anything with different textures that activates your senses.  Hold these objects firmly and put your attention on the way they feel. 

2.       Read a book; work on a puzzle, or word game.

3.       Play an instrument, paint, color, or draw a picture.

4.       Count something, for example, the dots on the wall or people in the room.

5.       Memorize a poem, verse, or saying that is positive for repeating and believing.

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