How to Manage Your Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

coping with PTSD, PTSD help, post traumatic stress disorder anxiety management

Coping with your own PTSD
The time to seek out a health care professional and have a talk about your emotional responses is when you feel you are being compromised by a past life trauma and stress. It is possible to correct your immediate condition positively on your own, even after you may be diagnosed with PTSD. However, most need to seek out the help of a professional.
After you have sought out your physician, make a commitment to follow any recommendations you receive from them. Anything you are asked to do will not be a 'quick fix' but over time the majority of individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder do adequately recover. By correctly adhering to your physicians instructions you will able to move ahead in your recovery process.

Once it is determined you suffer from PTSD, it is important than ever to take excellent care of yourself by exercising, eating correctly balanced foods and taking breaks in your day for relaxation. The things that you should avoid that could potentially make your anxiety level greater are nicotine and caffeine. Exercising time, especially taking a fast walk, can effectively manage those times when you are feeling excessively anxious. A favorite activity or hobby will help at these times as it will assist you in redirecting your attention to something more positive.

During times of high anxiety, when your emotions seem overwhelming, it is a temptation to try to anesthetize the inner turmoil. Many individuals turn to drugs or alcohol to handle these out of control emotions but this will, of course, only cause you to have more negative issues to deal with in time.

It is good to keep yourself aligned with close friends, family or clergy that you know you can trust and in whom you feel comfortable confiding. It is not really necessary to go over your trauma with those to whom you feel close but just being in the comfort and love of close friends and family will be a step in the healing process.

There are also many types of support groups in every community. Some may be just what the doctor ordered in terms of your recovery process. Your physician can probably assist you in finding a quality group that will be especially sensitive to your particular situation.

Helping a loved one who has post-traumatic stress disorder
When you are close to someone who has been diagnosed with PTSD it can adversely affect your own mental health and it will place tension on your own emotions whether you are a close friend, family member or caregiver. Dealing with the emotional responses of a person who is suffering from PTSD can wear you out emotionally. The coined phrase for this condition is called “compassion fatigue”. You too can in time begin feeling helplessness and depressed.

When your loved one does open up to you about their traumatic event it can put a lot of extra stress on you because hearing about this will be painful and can bring up things in your own life that have been very difficult. Your loved one may have developed a different personality than they exhibited prior to the trauma, like becoming very irritable, angry or depressed and withdrawn.

It is difficult at times to see where your loved one will be able to move past their trauma and you may end up having to deal with feelings of guilt over needing them to 'heal quickly'. You may also find yourself finding ways to avoid having to have a 'heart to heart' talk about their trauma. This is understandable. If you want to help your loved one, you really need to concentrate on your own needs and well being. Take good care of your health and take time out for relaxation.