Navigating a Mental Health Spiral
How to cope with a downward spiral, tolerate distress, and reduce overwhelm
Spiraling mental health?
In mental health discussions, you may have come across the term “spiral.” But what exactly does this mean in the context of our mental health? Simply put, a spiral or downward spiral refers to when thoughts, emotions, or behaviors begin to become negative, overwhelming, and worsening. This sometimes leads to a chain reaction, which can serve to amplify distress.
A downward spiral can manifest in various ways. For instance, someone experiencing heightened anxiety might find themselves trapped in a spiral of negative thinking, where each anxious thought leads to more anxiety, deepening their distress.
In the following sections, we’ll explore strategies for recognizing and coping with downward spirals.
Article Contents
Note: This article is intended to educate individuals on planning for coping with distress and overwhelm. If you, or someone you know, is currently experiencing a mental health crisis, immediately attend your nearest crisis access centre or emergency department.
Prevention is the best medicine
Preventing a downward spiral through good mental health hygiene is the most effective place to start. Proactive strategies aimed at maintaining psychological well-being and minimizing the impact of stressors before they escalate will help to prevent spirals and reduce the impact when they do occur.
Establishing healthy routines
This can include establishing healthy routines, such as regular physical activity, balanced nutrition, and adequate sleep, all of which bolster resilience against stress. Additionally, cultivating mindfulness practices, setting realistic goals, and fostering strong social connections can create a supportive framework that mitigates the likelihood of distress. In his book, The Upward Spiral, Alex Korb writes about small changes based in neuroscience that can reduce depression and improve mood.
By integrating these preventative measures into daily life, individuals can better equip themselves to handle challenges effectively and sustain overall mental health.
Strategies for coping with a spiral
If you feel a spiral coming on or are experiencing a spiral it can be helpful to engage in coping strategies. Coping strategies for distress can focus on redirecting attention, changing aspects of your experience, viewing your experience in a different way, or engaging with the present moment.
Distress tolerance skills
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) is a therapy approach that was developed to help people with regulating strong emotions. DBT offers many strategies for dealing with distress through distress tolerance skills.
Distraction to combat the spiral
Distraction sometimes gets a bad rap when it comes to coping with distress, however it most definitely has a place in managing emotions. Examples include things such as:
- Watching your favourite comedy special
- Learning something new on YouTube
- Playing a game, doing a puzzle, or colouring
Temperature changes
Using temperature is a powerful way to regulate emotions and return to the present moment. Specifically, using cold temperatures can quickly distract from overwhelm or distress and help to refocus on the present moment. Examples of using cold temperature to help regulate emotions include:
- taking a cold shower
- drinking a glass of cold water
- holding an ice cube
Sensory grounding
Sensory grounding means using any one or a combination of your senses to bring you back into the present moment. Our sensory organs provide input from our senses of touch, sight, smell, taste, and hearing.
A common sensory grounding exercise:
- What are 5 things you can see?
- What are 4 things you can feel?
- What are 3 things you can hear?
- What are 2 things you can smell?
- What is 1 thing you can taste?
Self-soothing activities for distress
Finding activities that provide a calming or soothing effect can be helpful in managing distress. Examples could include things like:
- Going for a walk in nature
- Swinging on a swing or rocking in a rocking chair
- Putting on a playlist that feels comforting
- Drinking a favourite warm beverage such as a hot chocolate
Present moment
Taking in the present moment is a component of sensory grounding. When you are engaging with the present moment, the goal is to take a curious and nonjudgemental stance.
For example, rather than “I hate sundays and am dreading going into work tomorrow” you might instead notice the environment around you without judging it as either good or bad.
Breathing exercises for distress tolerance
Breathing exercises are a powerful tool for distress tolerance, offering a simple yet effective way to manage acute emotional discomfort. By focusing on controlled, mindful breathing, you can activate the body’s relaxation (parasympathetic) response, which helps counteract the physical effects of stress.
Techniques such as deep diaphragmatic breathing, where you inhale deeply through the nose, hold for a few seconds, and exhale slowly through the mouth, can calm the nervous system and promote a sense of stability. Incorporating these exercises into daily routines or using them during moments of high stress can provide immediate relief and support overall emotional resilience.
Social interaction and social support
Social support is a crucial component of our mental health. Social support can include talking, messaging, or spending time with friends, family, or even brief acquaintances. Social support during a spiral doesn’t have to include talking about your thoughts and feelings. It can be as simple as a distraction from feelings of overwhelm. Some examples of seeking social interaction or support can include:
- Calling a trusted friend or family member to talk
- Exchanging funny videos or messaging with a friend
- Inviting a friend to join you in a distraction activity
- Making small conversation with others in public
Importantly, if you are in a spiral it is important to wisely choose who you reach out to for support. When we attempt to access support from people who are unreliably supportive and receive a poor response, it can sometimes worsen the experience or further a spiral. Choosing people who are likely to offer the type of support you need in these moments will be beneficial.
Meditations and visualizations
Meditations and visualizations can be helpful for some instances of stress and distress. However, many people find that if the level of distress is too high, these practices may no longer work.
These techniques can work by guiding the mind away from stressors and fostering a state of calm. Meditation practices, such as mindfulness or focused attention, help anchor the mind in the present moment, reducing rumination and promoting relaxation. A body scan is a common meditation practice that involves slowly checking in with body sensations and nonjudgmentally taking inventory of physical experiences.
Visualization involves mentally immersing oneself in peaceful or relaxing scenarios, like imagining a serene beach or envisioning personal success, to evoke a sense of relaxation and control.
Both practices encourage a shift in perspective, enabling individuals to manage their emotional responses more effectively and enhance their overall sense of well-being.
Resources
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Disclaimer:
The information provided in this post and across this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical, mental health, or therapeutic advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. This information does not create any therapeutic relationship and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment. Consult with a licensed mental health provider for advice or support regarding diagnosis and treatment.
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