Overcoming traumatic past incidents is harder than going through the event itself. The reason behind it could be the fact that one’s soul gets traumatized under the extreme pressure of a bad accident.
On the scientific side the reason why it is harder to deal with traumatic and bad memories is that in the moment of distress, norepinephrine (a stress hormone) pushes our brain to remember the event to deal with the same threat in the future.
But with time this ability leaves us shackled under the weight of traumatic incidents, that we can never forget even if we wanted to.
The RESULT- PTSD or Post-traumatic stress disorder
The flashbacks and nightmares keep haunting you until your tip over the board and into the ocean of distress and hardships.
PTSD destroys peace of mind and degrades the quality of life which is why it is necessary to cope with the situation as soon as possible. And although it will not be a smooth sailing boat, you can use some techniques to overcome the situation and come out victorious.
Symptoms of PTSD
Knowing that you are distressed is the first step towards healing and to do that you must know the symptoms a person suffering from PTSD shows. Some of those symptoms are:
- Reliving the same incident again and again
- Intrusive thoughts
- Nightmares
- Vivid flashbacks
- Physical discomfort like nausea, trembling, pain, sweating, etc
- Extreme distress on reminders of the trauma
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Ways to cope with PTSD and its symptoms
Mindfulness
To keep the water from splashing you have to keep the pot stable, same is the case with your mind and body. To keep a balance between good & bad memories and avoid frequent anxiety/ panic attacks you need to stabilize your mental state. And you can do that by practicing different mindfulness-based relaxation techniques such as:
- Meditation
- Cognitive therapy
- Stress reduction-based therapy etc.
Physical relaxation
Relaxation is a great way to deal with PTSD and the stress that comes with it. Physical or muscle relaxation exercise includes relaxing and tensing different muscle groups of your body like a pendulum going back and forth. The continuous tensing and relaxing motion of the muscles can help you deal with anxiety in the moment of need.
This is because after some time the tensing of muscles will automatically become a signal for your muscles to relax. Hence helpful in anxiety attacks where your muscles tense up as a response.
Keep your emotions in check
One’s thoughts and how one thinks ultimately affect their mental state. Self-monitoring can help you notice the emotions that mark the onset of anxiety attacks and deal with those emotions as soon as they appear.
Reach out for help
Oftentimes people suffering from issues like PTSD bottle up their feelings and don’t share their problems with others. And that could leave you vulnerable to struggling under the weight of your thoughts.
The best way to deal with any problem is by sharing it with others, whether it is your parents, companion, or your dear friend. Finding peace in someone’s presence and giving them the responsibility to keep your thoughts safe is the best way to deal with intrusive thoughts and panic attacks.
Medical Marijuana
Marijuana has been in the news because of the way it helps people with chronic health disorders to deal with depressive symptoms. This is because marijuana is a sedative and can help relieve tension, and calm one’s mind & senses.
As a result, marijuana is also helpful to relieve the symptoms caused by PTSD. So in case you want to try medical marijuana you can consult a Marijuana doctor in Connecticut and get a medical marijuana card to legally use marijuana.
Pet as a perfect partner
Studies have shown that physical touch with your pet can help you calm down. Moreover, a trained animal can even detect the onset of panic and anxiety attacks and help you deal with them. Pets help to improve the quality of life by creating a comfy and playful atmosphere which is important especially if you live alone. They become the reason to get back home in hopes that someone is waiting for you there.
Conclusion
You can make healthy lifestyle steps and opt for different methods to cope with PTSD but it is true that visiting professionals for the cause will benefit you the most. Just like a chiropractor is important to treat joints, an MMJ doctor is important to prescribe marijuana, it is important to visit a therapist to treat mental health-related issues.
Also Read: Mental Fatigue: When Constant Stress Makes Us Slow