Dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: What it is and What to Do

Despite the many advances of the modern world, tragedy continues to affect people worldwide, causing many to experience trauma. Fortunately, given enough time and proper care, sufferers of trauma are often able to return to their normal routine.

There are those, however, whose experience of trauma is much more intense and longer lasting than others, resulting in major disruptions in their daily functioning.

These people are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a very intense mental health concern. According to the American Psychological Association (2013), in a given year, 3.5% of adults in the USA are diagnosed with PTSD. The percentage is even higher in professions that are regularly exposed to such frightening situations (e.g. police personnel or soldiers).

Learning More about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health issue that comes about because of a very terrible event that was personally experienced or witnessed. Such an event can be physical or sexual abuse, an accident, a natural disaster, or a violent crime.

Although said traumatic event is usually experienced firsthand, it can also be a result of learning about trauma involving a loved one or it may be due to regular exposure to the aftermath of something traumatic (e.g. first responders to accidents and disasters, investigative officers who regularly deal with the details of violent crimes).

The Symptoms

There are several possible symptoms that a person with PTSD may experience. These may occur immediately after the trauma or they may appear months or even years after the event.

Though the symptoms may differ from person to person; generally, a sufferer of PTSD will display at least one of the following major symptoms:

• Flashbacks that cause the sufferer to feel like they are reliving the trauma again.
• Distressful memories or dreams about the traumatic incident. For young children (6 years-old and below), these frightening memories may be manifested in how they play (e.g. re-enactment of the event through their toys, scary drawings). Young children might also experience terrifying dreams, though the subject of the dreams may not seem to be connected to the trauma.
• Intense reactions if they are exposed to stimuli which remind them of the event (e.g. a shooting survivor hearing a sudden loud noise).

Additionally, those with PTSD may also display some of the following:

• Conscious avoidance of situations that remind them of the trauma (e.g. avoiding deep bodies of water if they just survived a near-drowning incident).
• Difficulty concentrating on normal tasks.
• Feelings of detachment from the world which causes them to lose interest in former activities.
• Hyper-alertness to danger (e.g. easily startled, very anxious) as they are constantly worried that something similar to their trauma may occur again.
• Problems sleeping.
• Reckless or self-destructive behavior as if life has no meaning anymore. This may also include suicidal thoughts.
• Wrong beliefs about themselves and others (e.g. thinking they are to blame for what happened, extreme prejudice against those they believe are to blame).

Methods of Dealing with Trauma

The mind is very complex which is why it is not always easy to deal with traumatic incidents. One thing to consider is that the sufferer needs time and space to recover from their terrifying experience.

Three Pillars to Consider

According to Dr. Howard Bath, a trained clinical psychologist who works with the youth, there are three important pillars to consider when working with traumatized children. These factors, however, may also apply to adults who have faced something similar.

1. Safety

The sufferer needs to feel that they are safe. Physically, the sufferer needs to be in an area where they feel protected from harm. Oftentimes, this may require removing the person from the location of trauma as any reminder of the incident may cause them to react intensely, preventing healing. Emotional safety is also necessary. They must be in an environment where self-expression is possible without fears of ridicule or shame.

2. Connections

The trauma victim must be surrounded by people who can encourage and inspire them to heal. Aside from being able to share their side of the traumatic experience at their own pace, this also means emotional connections that may allow the person to be themself once more – emotional support teams or recreational groups. If the sufferer is not able to rebuild their personal connections, their isolation may instead lead to loneliness and depression, making it more difficult for them to recover.

3. Coping

The sufferer needs to learn how to manage their emotions so that they can function properly once more. Some helpful coping techniques include the following:

Breathing Techniques and Other Relaxation Exercises

A continual state of hyper-alertness or anxiety affects the body in a negative way as it is never good to always be stressed. Proper breathing exercises and other relaxation methods such as yoga can help stabilize a person’s emotions, particularly after being reminded of their past trauma.

Mindfulness

Since intrusive thoughts can attack at any time, it is important that a sufferer is able to take control of their thinking, lest the negative memories take hold of them – particularly at inopportune times (e.g. while driving, when delivering a talk, or conducting business).

Moreover, mindfulness also includes being aware of the emotional triggers so that the person is mentally prepared for any situation that may trigger the negative thoughts (e.g. a burn victim prepping oneself mentally prior to attending a campfire meeting).

Grounding

Grounding is one technique to help the trauma victim in the here and now. When a flashback or panic attack occurs, they may gain control by literally feeling the ground with their toes, bringing their mind back to reality.

Additionally, they may bring themselves back to the present by counting or naming the objects around them or doing math problems in their head – the hope is to have the senses refocus on what is real, and not on what the mind is trying to replay from the past.

Living a Balanced Life

The mind and body are connected. An unhealthy lifestyle compounds the problems of trauma as the person’s willpower and thought control may become weaker if the body is tired or sick. It is always important to stay healthy by eating properly, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and avoiding the use of alcohol or drugs (as these just cause additional problems).

A balanced lifestyle also includes managing daily stress well. So the sufferer should always take steps to insert leisurely activities in their schedule and not take on too much work.

Express Oneself in Other Ways

As a form of expression and mental release, it helps to do other activities such as art (e.g. painting, sculpting) or journaling. These can become outlets for the fear felt inside or they can also be ways to re-emphasize one’s hope for a better tomorrow.

Specialized Treatment for PTSD

Though trauma can be treated by the above-mentioned methods, sometimes its symptoms, particularly for PTSD, are too overwhelming to handle. Professional assistance is needed if these symptoms badly affect one’s daily activities, or if homicidal or suicidal thoughts are present.

In therapy, the sufferer will obtain treatment designed to overcome their negative reactions to trauma. And if needed, there may also be activities to help the sufferer’s family if the trauma or the experience of living someone with PTSD has also affected them too.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a very effective treatment for trauma or PTSD. In the sessions, the client will be asked to relive the painful memories in small doses, while being asked to move one’s eye movements as directed by the therapist.

The idea here is that it is easier to recall painful events if the mind is distracted (being asked to move one’s eyes). Thus, by being exposed to the traumatic memories little by little, the person’s emotional response lessens until it does not interfere with their normal activities anymore.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT)

TF-CBT is another treatment method for PTSD, especially for young victims of trauma. In TF-CBT, the focus is on equipping the victim with coping tools (e.g. emotion regulation, relaxation training) so they can properly process their thoughts about the traumatic event. Many times the family is asked to partake in the sessions so parents or guardians are taught how to help the child overcome the negative experience.

Christian Counseling for PTSD

The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? – Psalm 27:1

Traumatic situations are very terrifying indeed. It is no wonder why victims may continue to suffer even after the incident has occurred. Thankfully, professional help is available for sufferers of PTSD who cannot overcome what their mind keeps recalling and replaying.

However, whenever possible, it is always best to seek assistance from a Christian counselor. In Christian counseling, the latest techniques for PTSD recovery will also be used so that the sufferer can come to terms with what has happened to them. And if need be, their family members may also take part as the family dynamics may have been affected by the traumatic incident.

But most importantly, the faith-based counselor will introduce the sufferer to the love, mercy, power, and wisdom of God through a strong relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ. Through prayer and meditation on Scripture, the sufferer’s faith and trust in God will become stronger.

This is what is needed for the person to truly understand that their past traumatic incident belongs in the past, as they have been rescued by an all-powerful God. By looking at their trauma narrative from God’s point of view, knowing that God is with them and is always in charge, they will be able to finally move forward with hope.

If you or someone you know is dealing with the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), seek professional help soon. It is only with God’s help that one’s traumatic past can truly be overcome.