Dealing with an accident can encompass both physical and invisible injuries. Here are some tips on how to cope with PTSD and other problems that may occur.
About 7 to 8% of the population experienced posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point in their lives. You can develop PTSD after experiencing or witnessing a shocking trauma. During many of these events, someone’s life is often in danger, even your own.
Trying to cope with PTSD without the right tools can leave you dealing with both physical and invisible pain.
It’s important to know you’re not alone. Instead, it’s essential to find the help you need before PTSD disrupts your way of life. Learning how to cope with PTSD can help you navigate triggers, avoid depression, and manage panic attacks.
Here are a few coping skills for PTSD that can help. With these tips, you can improve your quality of life after experiencing a traumatic event. Get started with these tips!
1. Get Active
Try to find a physical activity you enjoy. Then, make it part of your daily routine to get up and get active! Physical activity can help you learn how to cope with PTSD and reduce your symptoms.
Working up a sweat can help you reduce your stress levels. For example, many war veterans with PTSD found that surfing, which requires focus, helped manage their symptoms.
Find a physical activity that keeps you absorbed. As you focus on your sport or workout, you’ll find it’s easier to push aside thoughts and emotions. You might also consider Tai chi, a form of martial arts, that can have a similar effect.
If you don’t have a favorite physical activity, try a few and see what you enjoy!
2. Aromatherapy
Take a deep breath. Certain scents can help reduce chronic stress symptoms, ease anxiety, and help manage PTSD symptoms.
Try using aromatherapy as your new relaxation technique. You might also consider a relaxing oil massage. Try massaging your favorite scent against your pulse points.
A few scents to try include:
- Orange
- Lavender
- Peppermint
- Sage
These scents can help you relax and disconnect.
3. Mindful Meditation
You can also pair aromatherapy with mindful meditation. According to this review, there are a few mindfulness-based treatments that can help patients learn how to cope with PTSD. These include:
- Meditation-relaxation
- Mantram repetition practice
- Mindfulness-based exposure therapy
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction
These forms of mindful meditation can help reduce avoidance and self-blaming.
4. Art Therapy
If you experienced a personal injury as a result of your trauma, such as brain injury, it can help to externalize your emotions. Art therapy can help patients coping with PTSD by allowing them to channel emotions into their art.
5. Animal Therapy
If these PTSD coping mechanisms don’t work, consider getting a pet. Some pets are trained to recognize, prevent, and interrupt your symptoms.
For example, one week with a specially-trained dog can improve PTSD symptoms by 82%. These dogs are trained to sense nightmares, night sweats, and restlessness.
How to Cope with PTSD: Your Guide to Navigating Your Condition
It’s time to learn how to cope with PTSD. With this guide, you can discover the PTSD coping mechanisms that work best for your situation. Don’t let your symptoms disrupt your life.
Explore the Health section of the blog today for more guides.