Contents:
- Medical Video: BSSR Lecture Series: PTSD Treatment and Prevention
- Get to know the symptoms of PTSD
- 1. Feeling again experiencing a traumatic event
- 2. Avoid
- 3. Easier anxious and emotional
- Tips for handling symptoms of PTSD that relapse
- 1. Sports
- 2. Deep breathing technique
- 3. Divert your sensory attention
- 4. Ask for help from friends
Medical Video: BSSR Lecture Series: PTSD Treatment and Prevention
Post-traumatic stress disorder, better known as PTSD, is a serious mental health disorder. PTSD usually appears after a person experiences severe trauma in his life - upon returning from war, survives a natural disaster, survivors of sexual violence and / or domestic violence, criminal acts, childhood trauma, accidents, and others. Experiencing a traumatic event is hard for anyone. However, a number of people continued to develop PTSD after experiencing this painful event. PTSD can cause a person to experience a panic attack and anxiety attack once they remember the traumatic event.
It is difficult to adjust and accept changes after a traumatic event, but there are always ways to make you feel better. Read more to find out tips on dealing with trauma.
Get to know the symptoms of PTSD
The manifestation of PTSD in each person can be different from each person. Because, the nervous system of the human brain is designed differently and is also influenced differently by different triggers. In addition, each person's tolerance for stress can be different. But in general PTSD symptoms are:
1. Feeling again experiencing a traumatic event
Usually, once reminded or reminded of the events that cause trauma, you can experience Flash back against the incident and again feel the same emotional turmoil as on that day. In addition, you can also experience physical reactions such as cold / excessive sweating, heart palpitations, and nausea as a severe stress response if you are reminded of these traumatic events. You may also experience nightmares
2. Avoid
One of the symptoms of PTSD is the unconscious desire to avoid activities, places, or shadows / thoughts that can remind you of trauma.
3. Easier anxious and emotional
You will experience sleep problems, irritability, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. This happens especially if you think back to the traumatic event.
You will usually feel very emotional - easily angry, irritable, explosive emotions, and difficult to concentrate - when remembering the traumatic event. You may also feel discouraged in activities and life in general, and prone to experiencing insomnia.
In addition to these three main symptoms, there are several other symptoms that accompany PTSD. These symptoms include:
- Feeling embarrassed and blaming yourself
- Feeling betrayed
- Depression and hopelessness (including suicide)
- Feeling physically ill
Tips for handling symptoms of PTSD that relapse
Treatments to reduce PTSD symptoms can vary, from medical treatment, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and independent ways you can apply yourself. For example:
1. Sports
Exercising can help you prevent and deal with PTSD symptoms a lot. By exercising, your body will release endorphins that increase mood You. In addition, exercise also helps the brain's nervous system to relieve stress and is no longer fixated on traumatic things. You can try with aerobic exercise such as walking, running, swimming, dancing, rock climbing, boxing, weight lifting, or self-defense. You can exercise for at least 30 minutes every day.
2. Deep breathing technique
Panic attacks as a result of PTSD symptoms can cause hyperventilation. Severe cases of hyperventilation can cause fainting.
Deep breathing is the fastest way to calm yourself. Regulating breathing can slow down the heart rate and reduce or stabilize blood pressure. This has been associated with lower stress levels.
The trick, find a quiet and comfortable place to sit or lie down. Take a deep breath, then hold your breath for a few moments. Then exhale slowly through the mouth (or can pass through the nose if you feel this is more comfortable). Repeat several times until you feel more calm. Focus your attention on things or imagination that are happy in each breath.
3. Divert your sensory attention
Sometimes, traumatic memory flashbacks can be triggered by odor, sound, and a scene that looks like it looks similar to what happened in the past.
In most cases, "meeting" with these triggers cannot always be avoided. Therefore, divert your attention from these sensory triggers with things that make you feel more comfortable, such as smelling the aroma of your favorite coffee or perfume or by listening to your favorite song. Therefore, always prepare "runaway items" that can be easily reached by hand when you need them.
4. Ask for help from friends
When your PTSD symptoms are triggered, look for someone who makes you feel safe quickly. Talk to trivial things to distract you if you don't want to talk about your trauma. You also don't have to talk about the trauma that happens if you really don't want to talk about it.
Another way to deal with PTSD is to make lifestyle changes. These lifestyle changes can be done by:
- Find time to relax
- Avoid alcohol and illegal drugs
- Eat healthy food
