what to put in an emergency box. need suggestions please

tips on how to cope: dealing with your feelings, dealing with the consequences of self-harm in your life. share your ideas and maybe pick up some new skills, too. you don't have to want to stop to learn something new here.

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angelic212
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what to put in an emergency box. need suggestions please

Post by angelic212 » Thu Jan 22, 2004 2:12 am

ok i know most of you have heard about emergency boxes or happy boxes, or distraction boxes what ever you want to call them , if you dont know what they are , its a box filled with stuff to distract you when you are feeling depressed, wanting to si or having su thoughts, or fo r when you need comfort.

i have an emergency box at the moment but im trying to put some new things in it and i need ideas, i need something different i dont know so i was just wondering what stuff could i put in my emergency box? any ideas or suggestions?? please help me out i would really appreciate it thanks!

love always maria

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pretty
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Post by pretty » Thu Jan 22, 2004 7:29 pm

In my mergency box, at the moment I have:

One black envelope, with the listening to urges questions in it.
Another black envelope, with lots of pieces of paper in it with distractions and suggestions written on them. One piece has my fave happy memeory on it.
Print out of something lovely that someone posted in my place.
Colouring book and pencils.
A sachet of hot chocolate.
A bath bomb.
A journal.
A mini disc full of songs, some angry defiant songs, some sad songs to cry to.

Things I plan to put in really soon:
A soft toy.
A Harry Potter book.
Chocolates, like a tiny box with four in.
A photo of my hubby.
A letter from my hubby (sealed).
An object picked out by my hubby.


Hope that helps!
'this is what she says gets her through it,
"if I don't let myself be happy now, then when?"' - jimmy eat world

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~Claire~
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Post by ~Claire~ » Sun Jan 25, 2004 8:59 pm

I dont have one, but I am planning on making one very soon, a few ideas:

Pictures of friends / loved ones
emergency phone numbers of people you can call when in trouble
songs that mean things to you
distractions
letters, emails, postcards.
Anything sentimental really.

Hope this helps,

Claire xx
<center>
:dkpurpstar: :lpurpstar: :pinkstar:
Sing like nobody's listening.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
:pinkstar: :lpurpstar: :dkpurpstar:


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kodora
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Post by kodora » Mon Jan 26, 2004 8:43 pm

Well, I'm really just starting to make mine, but what I have in mine is:

the list that has 300+ things on it.
coloring book (precious moments, I find them adorable)
colored pencils
notepad
Slinky (It helps me keep my hands busy)

What I'm going to be adding to it:
Letters from my friends, family, and significant other.
A favorite book of mine, not sure which one
A CD with my favorite songs mixed on it, maybe two. (I have a lot of songs)
Phone Numbers
Listening to urges questions
A treat, maybe some of the rice candy I love- MMMM!
A bear, I have tons of those.
If I can get my teacher to make me a copy of it, the fruits basket DVDs. I own the one I'd want a copy of, but just to put in there.

Really, it's more what you want in there that's important.
I hear a voice
"Your must learn to stand up for yourself
Cause I can't always be around"

He says
When you gonna make up your mind
When you gonna love you as much as I do
When you gonna make up your mind
Cause things are gonna change so fast
All the white horses are still in bed
I tell you that I'll always want you near
You say that things change my dear
-Tori Amos "Winter"

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pretty
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Post by pretty » Tue Jan 27, 2004 4:08 pm

I have embroidery thread too for making bracelets. Keeps my hands busy.
'this is what she says gets her through it,
"if I don't let myself be happy now, then when?"' - jimmy eat world

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ErinBear
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Post by ErinBear » Tue Jan 27, 2004 7:31 pm

I don't have an emergency box but have sometimes thought of making one. If there is a craft you like doing, I'd vote for putting that in there - like crocheting or cross-stitching, origami, coloring books, ????? Something to keep one's hands busy. I like Tic-Tacs (little mints) maybe I would put a box of those in there. Maybe some peppermint tea bags because they would taste nice and be warm but wouldn't make me more anxious like caffeinated tea might. Maybe some quotes that mean a lot to me.

Take care,
ErinBear

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Wilwarin
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Post by Wilwarin » Tue Jan 27, 2004 8:29 pm

i have an old family video, my second birthday party and stuff like that. it makes me really happy.

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Comanche Let Thru
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Post by Comanche Let Thru » Mon Apr 19, 2004 3:02 am

In my box I have

-play dough
-a slinky
-a wooden puzzle
-a chocolate bar
-a red marker
-colored penciles
-silly putty
-a couple pictures
-list of things to do instead of SI
-emergency phone numbers
-little book of happy quotations

. . . I can't remember what else is in there.


(edited April 21, 2004) Upon looking in my box after this post I found more things in there that I'd forgotten.
-Nail polish
-Stationary
-Bubble gum
-More hand held toys
-Little stuffed duck.

I like the idea someone said of putting in letters someone writes to you saying nice things about you. Keeping them sealed until the emergency.
Last edited by Comanche Let Thru on Wed Apr 21, 2004 5:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by pinkllama » Wed Apr 21, 2004 5:20 am

I hadn't had an emergency box for a long while....I think I associated it with therapy...and thus threw it in the back of my trunk....but after reading this, I went out and decided to start another one....

in my box....
:star: silly puddy
:star: coloring books and crayons
:star: a journel :-?
:star: mini puzzles (don't know how well they'll work
:star: pictures
:star: cards

hmmmmmmmmmmm....will have to think up so more things
enter, bean-mobile
<P>Fueled by </P><img src="http://busmail.org/gallery/albums/hoste ... rducky.gif" width="120" height="120">.....
<img src="http://busmail.org/gallery/albums/hoste ... kllama.jpg" width="230" height="170>

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Roxi
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Post by Roxi » Sun Oct 28, 2007 4:04 pm

I have much of the other stuff which has been mentioned.
But also this kiddies book called "did I ever tell you how lucky you are" By Dr. Sues. It's of his best books (IMO) and you can't help laughing at his charachters and the funny rhymes.

I also have a bottle of bubbles :)
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We are the girls with anxiety disorders, filled appointment books, five-year plans. We take ourselves very, very seriously. We are the peacemakers, the do-gooders, the givers, the savers. We are on time, overly prepared, well read, and witty, intellectually curious, always moving… We drink coffee, a lot of it. We are on birth control, Prozac, and multivitamins… We are relentless, judgmental with ourselves, and forgiving to others. We are the daughters of the feminists who said, “You can be anything,” and we heard, “You have to be everything." - Courtney Martin.

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Artemisia
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Post by Artemisia » Tue Nov 20, 2007 1:28 pm

i've never heard of an emergency box before, but wow what an amazing idea! it's so good to see genuine attempts at alternatives - and it's really great to have positive thinking when you've not got much yrself sometimes.

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