Contents:
- Medical Video: Childhood Trauma and Memory Loss
- What needs to be done to deal with trauma
- 1. Recognize the symptoms of PTSD
- 2. Getting closer to the social environment
- 3. Start therapy
- 4. Divert attention with positive things
- 5. Start relaxation activities regularly
- What not to do in dealing with trauma
- 1. Misusing drugs and alcohol
- 2. Do not want to admit trauma
Medical Video: Childhood Trauma and Memory Loss
Post-traumatic stress disorder, better known as PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) is a mental health disorder that is quite serious, caused by an event that causes a person to be traumatized. Although the experience experienced by someone is not always as bad as what they think, but the condition of trauma can cause him to feel in danger, just by remembering something from that experience.
Lifestyle changes are one way to change one's thinking about something and are expected to reduce the symptoms of someone who has PTSD. Here are some efforts that can be done to overcome PTSD.
What needs to be done to deal with trauma
1. Recognize the symptoms of PTSD
Experiences such as natural disasters, abuse, or accidents can easily be recalled by patients with PTSD through nightmares, fleeting memories, or memories that disturb the mind. People who experience PTSD often cannot express emotions, withdraw from various routines and social environments, and experience various symptoms of cognitive impairment. In the long run PTSD can trigger depression and panic attack.
Finding out more about the causes of your trauma is needed to find out how to prevent trauma from coming back. In addition, joining the trauma-related support group can also help to remind you that you don't experience this condition yourself.
2. Getting closer to the social environment
Keeping away from the closest person can actually cause you to be alone, and tend to recall what made you traumatized. Conversely, sharing stories with someone can reduce the pressure of the mind rather than save the problems that are experienced by themselves. In addition, the family and friends environment is the best place to get the support you need.
3. Start therapy
Some of the symptoms of PTSD can make you feel tired and reduce the quality of rest time, as a result of performance in work, school, and personal relationships also become disrupted. Therapy is one way to overcome this, both psychological therapy and consumption of drugs such as anti-depressants and sleeping pills. This effort does not produce a fast effect, but it is important to help deal with trauma with a clearer mind condition. Concerning therapy by reducing the source of stress so that PTSD recovery is effective.
4. Divert attention with positive things
Various activities such as work and volunteering are ways to divert thoughts from unwanted memories and emotions. Even though focusing your mind on a job will not immediately eliminate the symptoms of PTSD, it can minimize the adverse effects of remembering the trauma experienced, and help balance your life again. Turning attention to positive things when you are alone is a very important thing to do to prevent trauma memories coming back.
5. Start relaxation activities regularly
This can be done by undergoing various activities that can make your mind calmer, such as listening to music, meditation, stretching, recreation, or exercise. Relaxing conditions not only require peace of mind, but also require physical strength. Therefore, both of them need to be fulfilled when doing relaxation activities.
But keep in mind, the purpose of doing these activities is to forget for a moment all things that are stressful or that worsen your emotional condition, so choose activities that really make your mind calm. Avoid activities with negative stimuli from the environment when you are trying to relax, for example listening to sad songs that can affect your emotional state. This will not help you be calmer and will only make you withdraw from the activity.
What not to do in dealing with trauma
Everyone has a different reaction to a sense of trauma, but often they do negative things and don't solve problems. Misusing alcohol and drugs, as well as avoiding trauma, is an inappropriate way to deal with PTSD.
1. Misusing drugs and alcohol
These two things might make someone forget the problem and increase self-confidence, even if only temporarily, but it will not make the mind become clearer when experiencing trauma. The effects of dependence on drugs and alcohol can also aggravate mental states, leading to violence, accidents, and suicidal ideation.
2. Do not want to admit trauma
Can be done in various ways such as avoiding the social environment and consider themselves to have no problems and do not need therapeutic assistance. Calming yourself in a way to be alone and avoiding the closest person excessively is not the right thing, because it will keep you away from the support you might need. It's the same as hiding emotions and avoiding therapy, because this won't resolve the trauma that can come back at any time even though you think everything is fine.
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