Камни для снятия тревоги и беспокойства

Small stones rubbed for anxiety

Worry stones are smooth, polished gemstones, usually in the shape of an oval with a thumb sized indentation, used for relaxation or anxiety relief. Worry stones are typically around in size. They are used by holding the stone between the index finger and thumb and gently moving one's thumb back and forth across the stone. The action of moving one's thumb back and forth across the stone is thought to reduce stress, but there is no conclusive scientific evidence to support this. The smoothness of the stone was most often created naturally by running water.

From the perspective of cognitive behavior therapy, the use of worry stones is one of many folk practices that can function as psychologically healthy self soothing exercises. Such techniques are imparted at an early stage of treatment, displacing any familiar but destructive coping methods (nail biting, scratching, lip biting, etc.) that the patient may have developed. This helps ready the patient to safely confront anxiety or trauma. Worry stones are simple and intuitive enough to be useful in therapeutic contexts where complexity and unfamiliarity are paramount concerns, such as when offering short term treatment to refugees. After a patient has mastered a more sophisticated relaxation script for anxiety management, the worry stone itself can serve as a physical 'relaxation script reminder'; the patient may notice an impulse to use the object, and thereby become aware of their own anxiety.