Overwhelming experiences like emotional abuse, sexual assault, a shooting, or bullying related to your identity can rock your world and leave deep scars. These wounds, known as trauma, can be more damaging and long-lasting than physical injuries related to a traumatic experience, especially those that are related to ongoing events like chronic abuse, neglect, or growing up in an unsafe neighborhood. These experiences aren’t just terrifying, they can also actually change the way parts of your brain work, transforming your response to stress in everyday situations even when you’re completely safe.
Trauma can sometimes lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, a mental health condition that is diagnosed when the impact of trauma significantly interferes with your ability to get by for a month or longer. If you’re worried about yourself or someone you love, learn more about the signs and symptoms of PTSD.
It’s common to want to block out the world and avoid any reminders of what happened, but trying to protect yourself in those ways can backfire as trauma takes over more of your life, drives you to pull away from people and places you used to enjoy, and triggers exhausting mood spirals. That’s because PTSD is our brain’s way of trying to keep us safe by constantly scanning for danger. Treatments for it help you reteach your brain that you can be supported despite the trauma you have experienced.
No matter what you’re going through or how long it has been, what happened to you isn’t your fault and you shouldn’t have to deal with this alone. There are so much research-backed tools and strategies that can help you begin to feel better.
Learn New Coping Strategies
There are two levels to coping with trauma: managing it in the moment and working toward long-term healing, which means expanding your ability to hold your trauma as you move through everyday life. Both are important and include easy-to-learn skills that can make a big difference with time and practice.
Coping With Trauma in the Moment
When something triggers a memory of trauma, it can hit you hard with panic, anxiety, shortness of breath, tightness in your chest, and sweating. Grounding exercises can help you learn how to ride the wave, calm yourself down, and move forward.
Take deep breaths. Research shows just a few minutes of focusing on your breathing can help relax your brain and make it easier for you to cope with stress.
Focus on your five senses. One by one, name what you can touch, smell, taste, hear, and see. Simple distractions like this can help root you in the present and help you stop spiraling. Strong flavors, such as sour candies, can be especially helpful to pull you out of panic.
Step away. As much as possible, try to create distance between yourself and the person, place, or thing that triggered you. Create pockets of safety for yourself, whether it’s in a place like the library, with certain people, or alone with your favorite shows or playlists.
Lean on loved ones. When you’re really struggling, text, call, and meet up with people who make you feel safe and supported. Having a listener can help you process difficult feelings and memories.
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