Distract yourself with positive activities
Pleasant recreational or work activities help distract a person from his or her memories and reactions. For example, art has been a way for many trauma survivors to express their feelings in a positive, creative way. Pleasant activities can improve your mood, limit the harm caused by PTSD, and help you rebuild your life.
Talking to your doctor or a counselor about trauma and PTSD
Part of taking care of yourself means using the helping resources around you. If efforts at coping don't seem to work, you may become fearful or depressed. If your PTSD symptoms don't begin to go away or get worse over time, it is important to reach out and call a counselor who can help turn things around. Your family doctor can also refer you to a specialist who can treat PTSD. Talk to your doctor about your trauma and your PTSD symptoms. That way, he or she can take care of your health better.
Many with PTSD have found treatment with medicines to be helpful for some symptoms. By taking medicines, some survivors of trauma are able to improve their sleep, anxiety, irritability, and anger. It can also reduce urges to drink or use drugs.
Coping with the symptoms of PTSD
Here are some direct ways to cope with these specific PTSD symptoms:
Unwanted distressing memories, images, or thoughts
* Remind yourself that they are just that, memories.
* Remind yourself that it's natural to have some memories of the trauma(s).
* Talk about them to someone you trust.
* Remember that, although reminders of trauma can feel overwhelming, they often lessen with time.
Sudden feelings of anxiety or panic
Traumatic stress reactions often include feeling your heart pounding and feeling lightheaded or spacey. This is usually caused by rapid breathing. If this happens, remember that:
* These reactions are not dangerous. If you had them while exercising, they most likely would not worry you.
* These feelings often come with scary thoughts that are not true. For example, you may think, "I'm going to die," "I'm having a heart attack," or "I will lose control." It is the scary thoughts that make these reactions so upsetting.
* Slowing down your breathing may help.
* The sensations will pass soon and then you can go on with what you were doing.
Each time you respond in these positive ways to your anxiety or panic, you will be working toward making it happen less often. Practice will make it easier to cope.
Feeling like the trauma is happening again (flashbacks)
* Keep your eyes open. Look around you and notice where you are.
* Talk to yourself. Remind yourself where you are, what year you're in, and that you are safe. The trauma happened in the past, and you are in the present.
* Get up and move around. Have a drink of water and wash your hands.
* Call someone you trust and tell them what is happening.
* Remind yourself that this is a common response after trauma.
* Tell your counselor or doctor about the flashback(s).
Dreams and nightmares related to the trauma
If you wake up from a nightmare in a panic, remind yourself that you are reacting to a dream. Having the dream is why you are in a panic, not because there is real danger now.
You may want to get up out of bed, regroup, and orient yourself to the here and now.
Engage in a pleasant, calming activity. For example, listen to some soothing music.
Talk to someone if possible.
Talk to your doctor about your nightmares. Certain medicines can be helpful.