Healthy ways of coping with PTSD

PTSD, or post traumatic stress disorder, is an anxiety disorder which is caused through the experience of a traumatic, frightening, or stressful event. Anyone who has been through a traumatic event can experience PTSD, and anxiety is not an uncommon reaction resulting from trauma. It is normal to feel upset and distressed after such an event, but if thoughts and symptoms do not go away after a matter of weeks, it is best to seek medical advice from your GP to begin with.

PTSD can trigger reactions in the body and mind such as lack of concentration, flashbacks, nightmares, being particularly irritable, feeling guilty, and even insomnia (difficulty sleeping). These symptoms can become persistent and can really affect the sufferer’s everyday life.

If you feel that you are suffering from PTSD, or are experiencing these symptoms after a traumatic event, it is of course important that you seek medical advice, but there are also coping mechanisms you can use to help take back control.

1. Acknowledge your symptoms

Symptoms for PTSD can be worrying, and sometimes scary for those who experience them. You may feel a loss of control, and perhaps that you are going crazy – so it is important to educate yourself on the symptoms and feelings common to PTSD. This can help to reassure you that you are not reacting irrationally and the symptoms you are experiencing are for a reason.

2. Help to calm your symptoms

As PTSD is a type of anxiety disorder, it can be helpful to learn how to relax your body and how to deal with the thoughts as they come to you. Calm breathing and muscle relaxation can help to reduce tension and feelings of anxiousness. 

3. Try to deal with unwanted distressing memories and thoughts

Memories, images and flashbacks are a normal reaction to a stressful event and it is important to remind yourself of this. You can help to cope with memories and flashbacks in the moment by using ‘grounding’ techniqes which can bring you back to the present. Some ways of doing this include:

• Saying the alpabet backwards, or counting backwards from a number like 50
• Squeeze each finger, or press each finger with your thumb in turn, and repeat several times
• If you’re sitting, get up and move around. Wash your hands, or have a glass of water
• Talk to yourself as it happens, and remind yourself you are in the present. Become aware of your surroundings and what everything feels and looks like.

4. Try to do things you enjoy and resume activities you love

If you have PTSD or a form of anxiety, it’s possible that you have stopped activities or disengaged from a routine that used to make you happy. Try to take care of yourself, and get into a routine which helps both you and your symptoms. Go for a walk, get exercise, practise a hobby – try to engage in something that you used to enjoy and get back into ‘normality’.

5. Recognise when you should ask for help

While there are strategies which can help you to cope with the symptoms of PTSD, it is important to seek help if you need it, to talk through all the things which are going on and possibly disturbing you. Seeking professional help is incredibly important with PTSD as a therapist or psychiatrist can point you in the right direction and provide you with the advice you need. If you are having nightmares, or feel that your symptoms are not going away, talk to your doctor about this, as certain medications may also be of help.