I managed a grocery store meltdown in the cereal aisle yesterday

The lights were flickering and my cart got bumped, which sent me into a full sensory overload right next to the Lucky Charms. I remembered the grounding exercise my therapist, Dr. Evans, taught me and focused on counting five blue boxes on the shelf. It took about two minutes, but I got my breathing under control and finished getting my oats. Has anyone else found a specific trick that works for public places like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

margaret6922mo ago

Honestly, counting cereal boxes sounds like a band-aid on a bigger problem. My cousin tried all that mindfulness stuff after his panic attack at the airport and it just delayed him getting real help. He needed medication, not staring at departure boards. Tbh, sometimes you have to accept that public spaces are just too much and get your groceries delivered instead of fighting your brain in an aisle.

henrygrant2mo agoMost Upvoted

real help" can include both meds and coping skills though. my therapist says grounding tricks like counting stuff are first aid, not the whole treatment plan. your cousin might have needed both, not just one or the other.

tessagibson2mo ago

My brother had a similar thing happen at a mall food court. HenryGrant is right that the counting thing is just a tool, not a fix. It's rough when just going out feels like a battle.