Life can become extremely challenging and unpredictable due to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other types of traumatic stress. Unanticipated intrusive thoughts and flashbacks can abruptly surface, hindering your normal functioning.
Sometimes, it can be beneficial to distance yourself from individuals, locations, and scenarios that trigger these disturbing thoughts and memories. Nevertheless, if avoidance becomes your sole coping mechanism, it may lead to more issues than it seeks to resolve. It’s impossible to evade these symptoms forever, and attempts to do so might result in missed opportunities, heightened anxiety, or a feeling of being further confined by your trauma.
Self-Monitoring
Self-monitoring acts as an effective strategy for managing your anxiety symptoms. This approach involves meticulously tracking and noting specific thoughts, activities, sensations, or emotions. As creatures of routine, individuals often navigate their day without consciously analyzing their actions, emotions, or experiences.
This absence of self-consciousness might lead people to perceive their thoughts and feelings as erratic and uncontrollable. Regrettably, this implies that individuals are unable to confront distressing anxiety symptoms without first recognizing the circumstances that evoke these emotions.
Confront Your Emotions
While it’s natural to shy away from pondering over your traumatic experiences, excessive evasion can delay your recovery and intensify your stress. If you notice yourself withdrawing from those close to you, staying indoors excessively, developing irregular sleep patterns, or resorting to substance use to evade your emotions, cultivate healthier habits that can assist in resuming a regular routine. Acknowledge your emotions, and don’t hesitate to seek help from your friends and family or a mental health professional as you strive to reintegrate into your everyday life.
Connect with Others
Following a distressing incident, you might want hyper independence and isolate yourself from social gatherings and friendships. However, engaging in person-to-person interactions is crucial for healing. The mere process of conversing directly with another person can stimulate hormones that alleviate trauma-induced stress.
You’re not obligated to discuss your traumatic experiences. Connecting with others does not always necessitate a discussion about the distressing event. Comfort often stems from feeling integrated and connected with individuals you trust. Engage in regular activities or conversations with friends and loved ones that are unrelated to the incident that induced your trauma-induced stress.
Be Patient
Understandably, you might want to avoid thoughts related to a distressing incident. However, staying indoors excessively, oversleeping, distancing yourself from those you care about, and resorting to substances to dodge triggers are not beneficial coping mechanisms in the long run.
While it’s natural to seek avoidance, an excessive amount can extend your stress levels and hinder your recovery process. Attempt to reintegrate into your usual routine slowly. Assistance from those close to you or a mental health expert can greatly facilitate your return to normalcy.
Concentrate on Your Breath and Stabilize Your Being
Experiencing trauma can often lead to feelings of extreme anxiety and being overpowered. You may feel your heart pounding, your breath getting shorter, or your body trembling. In these instances, concentrate on your breathing, inhaling and exhaling slowly. Additionally, consider applying grounding methods. They can assist in reorienting you to the present moment and enable you to take necessary immediate action, like moving to a safe place.
Endnote
Experiencing trauma can lead to anxiety and various other manifestations, yet several resilience strategies for PTSD can provide comfort. Tactics like diverting attention, profound respiration, being present at the moment, and behavioral engagement are a few methods to consider. Consulting a physician or mental health expert would benefit if these techniques don’t sufficiently alleviate your symptoms.
