6 Ways to Cope With PTSD

1. Surround Yourself With Support

Even if you're among the most determined PTSD survivors out there, you'll need professional help and the support of friends, family and other people suffering from the condition. Many mental-health centers offer dedicated programs to help people who are afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder. You can participate on an inpatient or outpatient basis, depending on the severity of your condition, your supervising doctor's recommendation and your lifestyle needs.

Doctors and therapists use a wide range of proven psychiatric techniques to help sufferers gain control over their symptoms. If you have PTSD, you'll likely undergo exposure therapy and cognitive-behavior therapy to help you overcome the triggers and anxieties that lead to the flashbacks and behavioral patterns associated with PTSD. Eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a cutting-edge technique that might also help you.

Since you'll need to reintegrate the traumatic memories as part of your PTSD therapy, continued therapy following your treatment program will help. Friends, family members and other important people in your life can also participate in dedicated support groups and day programs at psychiatric facilities.

2. Learn the Facts

Self-education is another vital strategy you can use to manage your PTSD symptoms. If you understand how the condition influences your psychology, you can empower yourself to regain control over your reactions to triggers and symptoms. Often, people living with post-traumatic stress disorder feel alone, misunderstood or afraid they're crazy. The truth is that the condition is neither rare nor misunderstood, and the psychological symptoms associated with it are part of the brain's natural coping mechanism.

3. Stay Busy

It normally takes several years after the commencement of treatment for afflicted individuals to make a complete recovery. During the course of your healing process, it is important for you to occupy your mind and body with constructive, wholesome activities. One of the hallmark symptoms of PTSD is lethargy and a diminished interest in activities you once enjoyed. If you allow this inactivity to take hold, it can increase the frequency and severity of panic, anxiety and flashback symptoms.

4. Avoid Known Triggers

If you're suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, you might have flashbacks of the traumatic event. These flashbacks may be triggered by sights, sounds and smells associated with the event. For example, an individual who witnessed a murder might be triggered by the sound of a gunshot firing, if a gun was used in the crime. Thus, that individual may benefit from avoiding exposure to television programs and movies that feature gunfire. While exposure therapy can reduce or eliminate the psychological effects of triggers, avoidance is often necessary during the early stages of a treatment program.

5. Resist Negative Coping Mechanisms

Researchers and experts have identified several common coping mechanisms used by PTSD sufferers that are ultimately self-destructive. You may seek social isolation or sabotage your relationships to head off fears of rejection and avoid frightening, confusing or embarrassing situations. Patterns of drug and alcohol abuse are equally common and used as a means of escapism. If you fit this description, seek the advice of a physician or psychiatrist.