Individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) often struggle with intense and frequent symptoms of anxiety. Moreover, these anxiety symptoms often lead them to rely on unhealthy ways of coping, such as substance use.
Fortunately, various healthy coping strategies may help your anxiety become less frequent, become more tolerable, and/or go down in intensity.
DC Wellness Mental and Behavioral Health Services, a well-known provider of mental health services in Hendersonville, North Carolina, offers the following suggestions.
- Self-Soothing
When you are experiencing anxiety, it is crucial to have ways of coping with those feelings. For instance, seeking out social support is a great way to improve your mood. However, PTSD-related anxiety can often occur unexpectedly, and social support may not always be available. Therefore, it is vital to learn coping strategies that you can do on your own. Some healthy self-soothing activities include deep breathing exercises, engaging in positive self-talk, and sipping a cup of soothing herbal tea.
- Mindfulness Meditation
Meditation and mindfulness-based relaxation strategies have been shown to help manage a range of disorders, one of which is PTSD. One review of mindfulness-based treatments reveals that it can be used to reduce avoidance, decrease intrusive thoughts, and reduce self-blame in people diagnosed with PTSD.
- Expressive Writing
Journaling and expressive writing are excellent ways to cope with and express your thoughts and feelings. For instance, a study reveals that expressive writing can be helpful for individuals diagnosed with PTSD. This study shows that while there are no changes to PTSD symptoms, participants experienced significant improvements in mood. Their physiological response to trauma-related memories has also been reduced.
- Social and Professional Support
Several studies find that seeking support from others can be a major factor in helping people overcome the negative effects of a traumatic event. Whether you talk to a trusted family member or you seek professional behavioral health services in North Carolina, opening up to someone can be very helpful for working through stressful situations and memories.
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