PTSD & Trauma

There is HELP!
There is a WAY OUT!
There are SOLUTIONS!
There are THINGS you can do!

Steps to regaining control of your life.

Ask for help and work with qualified professionals.
Create your own unique coping strategies.
Take your time, treat yourself kindly.
The desire to want to take back control of your life means you have already initiated your healing process.
Adopt some strategies/activities that could work for you. Have a look at the following.

Mental activities

Recognize reality. What you experienced is real. Horrible stuff happens. Decide what you want to feel about it... and what you want to do about it.

Brainstorm the realistic activities you CAN do. Be creative. Ask others for input.

Choose how, when and where you want to deal with this. You are in control of this part.

Physical activity

It's already a proven fact that physical activity pulls us out of negative thoughts and emotions. Carefully selected physical activity can also go a long way toward creating positive results.

Emotional activity

Emotions serve as a bridge to our mind and body.
Recognize your feelings. What are you feeling right now as you read this? Some possibilities could include shock, disbelief, denial, sadness, anger, revenge, rage, hatred, confusions, vulnerability, uncertainty, powerlessness. All feelings are a normal part of the human experience. Everyone gets triggered by emotions. Not everyone knows how to deal with them. This is where support and knowledge is key to you being in control of your actions.

Honor and respect all your feelings. How do you do this? By just letting it be. By giving yourself permission. I am human when I have.... this feeling. There is no right or wrong.
Notice where you feel your emotions. Where in your body do they reside? Head, neck, shoulders, upper back, lower back, chest, stomach, arms or legs. This is normal. Is it always in the same place, or does it move around?
What relieves your emotions? Make a list of what things help you release the feelings that you are holding. Remember there is no right or wrong. Crying, yelling, stomping your feet, hitting a punching bag, kicking a punching bag, hitting a pillow or cushion. chopping wood, fishing, walking, prayer, meditation, self-hypnosis, taking a bath, talking about what you feel with someone who understands, taking a nap, deep breathing or anything that comes to your mind. All of these are constructive expressions of your emotions. Now select a couple of these that you think or know...will work for you.

Release your feelings in moderation....frequently when beneficial.

Use the scale technique.

Ask yourself on a scale of 1-10 how stressed out am I? 1 is not at all and 10 is maximum. The secret here is not letting anything get to the 10.
Select an activity from your list and do it for 15 minutes. Assess by asking...Do I feel better? Rate yourself from 1-10 again.
Where do you land now? Better but not yet an 8. Do your activity for another 15 minutes. Rate yourself again. Still not at 8 then choose a different activity. Perform it for another 15 minutes.
Keep checking yourself. change activities is necessary and so on. Now pay attention.
Anything different in your body. Did movement help? Did the feeling move and evolve or change into another form?
The amazing thing is when you do this you are connecting with yourself. You are not shutting down. You are coping. You are gaining control back.

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