There are many breathing techniques (e.g., deep breathing, holding breath, noticing breath) that reduce anxiety and help survivors cope with flashbacks. Many examples can be found on the Web. The link below is an example of three deep breathing exercises to reduce anxiety.
There are many grounding activities that can help survivors cope with flashbacks. These exercises aim to bring the survivor into the present moment.
One common exercise is called 5-4-3-2-1: You teach the survivor to notice FIVE things s/he can see; FOUR things s/he can touch or feel on the skin; THREE things s/he can hear; TWO things she/he can smell; and ONE thing s/he can taste.
Stress toys can be helpful to give the client something physical to occupy their hands with and ground them during a stressful session. Recommended toys:
"floppy noodle balls" or "puffer balls" are tactile and flexible, and can be found in online stores like the Trainer's Warehouse or Curious Minds.
"magic loops" are metal rings with beads that can be folded into ball-like and flower-like shapes, and can be found at Office Playground.
the Hoberman’s Sphere is a foldable ball that can be used as a visual guide for a breathing exercise. It can be found at the Hoberman website.
Survivors discuss their mental health issues in these videos hosted by the Center for Survivors of Torture at AACI in San Jose, CA. The refugees come from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Viet Nam, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Burma, China, and India. The videos are in both their home languages and translated into English.
