what is species dysphoria?
in context like these, dysphoria is distress from mismatch between inside/identity and outside/physical self.for alterhumans, often means species dysphoria: distress with human, or human-like, body.
dysphoria especially can hit strong if new to this part in identity and community, with less experience in balance. if dysphoria kick you hard and not know what do about, if feel like hate this world and hate body... hope maybe can help find some comfort with this.
some ideas
for years, live in balance between faery and human worlds. learn many things in this time.these not species-specific, sorry! still, hope may find ideas that inspire.
first: dreams wonderful. can do anything, and some even find ways control. but not everyone can.
if dreams your only dysphoria solution, that means so much more time that hurt and very little release.
so please, do enjoy dreams when get, but not push too hard - that can make dreams that hurt more than help. think feel much better if look for real things can do. but how, you ask?
of course this answer change so much depend on what miss, what need, and possible around you.
specific urges
- want eat grass? try:
- pasta varieties in long, thin strands
- local foraging, if possible - always research first
- get hands in grass, learn new craft
sadly sometimes find self with need that just can not replace. this why always stress about find every little thing that could make happy, and take no shame in these.
general advice
- music
- instrumental music! try "relaxing space music", "ambient forest music", "fantasy soundscape", so on
- video game soundtracks, as well
- not big on ambience? combine identity as keyword with "music", "song", or specific genre
- scrapbooks, journals, and more
- save pictures to phone/computer/whatever in special folder
- journal? write/print quotes and lyrics
- record things that give euphoria - words, outfits
- crafty enough? make whole scrapbook!
- want stay secret? use titles like lookbook, style goals, and aesthetic
- personal objects and spaces
- stickers on notebooks
- hang decorations like little bells or charms in identity shape
- get tools in colours and patterns that make happy, like floral scissors
- make comfy corner, especially with nest, blanket fort, or pillow fort
- decorate shelves with identity-relate and/or natural world trinkets
- crafty enough? make decorations! papier mache can be easy even from nothing.
- stickers on notebooks
- digital spaces
- wallpapers and lockscreens
- folder and app icons
- make blog and/or website
- video games
- want toy with people? stardew valley to bother townsfolk, especially with mods.
- want build or break anything? minecraft creative mode.
- want hunt? horror games like dead by daylight.
- hobbies and research
- even if not in reach now, can always research hobbies and ways in which identity live
- can always look to history and folklore, even as earthly animal, for ideas on what people in past think
- garden, photography, birdwatch and others give reason look at things others ignore - may help connect with self (and world) more.
- food
- anything to add in?
- make food! put in faery magic, shape like little dog treats, colour like blood - possibility endless
- what tastes? even under medical and/or human-limit diets, can find ways mimic tastes and textures that not able eat
- body care
- soap and shampoo influence how smell - try find scents that feel like home and comfort