Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can take a huge toll on the mind and the body of a person. We have seen people going through intense experiences due to PTSD. Most of them often fall into severe anxiety, stress, and depression.

PTSD can have a major impact on a person’s cardiovascular health as well. Therefore, it is important to get the right kind of treatment as early as possible.

The good news is, there are ways to cope with PTSD symptoms like anxiety and depression. Some methods can help with decreasing the intensity and frequency of anxiety attacks and night terrors. Also, these treatments have proven to be helpful in making sure PTSD stays within a manageable level.

Today we will discuss some of these effective ways to deal with PTSD anxiety. If you have this condition or know someone with it, this article will be a helpful guide for you.

Ways to Deal with PTSD Anxiety

If you have PTSD, you may feel like it’s never going to go away. However, there are several short and long-term psychotherapy and medications you can take to deal with this condition. Most often, experts recommend treatment combining therapy and medication.

However, you may still experience anxiety attacks, night terrors, and insomnia regardless of starting therapy or medication for the first time. So, here are some methods to help keep the panic attacks in check.

Taking Deep Breaths

Breathing is the first thing you should do in case of a panic attack. It helps you relax your muscles and gives you a sense of calmness. However, many people often mess up the process.

When you inhale the air, your belly should expand, and during exhaling, it should contract. Taking a couple of deep breaths will effectively calm your nerves and increase the blood circulation in your body. It directly works on decreasing stress and anxiety levels.

Most people involve shoulders and chest during deep breathing. This harms the whole process and cannot relax the neck and shoulder muscles. Therefore, it often does more harm than good.

Practice simple deep breathing exercises whenever you can. It can have a positive impact on your overall health.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

An incredible method of releasing stress is progressive muscle relaxation. This exercise is carried out by relaxing and tensing muscles alternatively. The main idea behind these exercises is a bit like a pendulum.

You keep your muscle tensed for some moments and then gradually relax it. Hold for the same amount of time and then bring it back to tension. And repeat.

When you follow through with this exercise, your brain develops a certain signal. During panic attacks, all your muscles go into tension. With the signal developed in your brain, your muscles automatically start to go into relaxation after the tense period.

Mindfulness

The practise of mindfulness has been around since ancient times. The main idea here is to live in the present and be in touch with your own self.

Living in the present is something that a lot of us have difficulty with. Either we are lost in our thoughts or are lost in how we are coming off to others. Most PTSD patients get stuck in the traumatic experience they witnessed. Oftentimes, they will relive that moment till they completely lose their mind.

It is easier to accept what happened in the past and live for the future by practicing mindfulness. What’s more interesting, you can do it while performing your everyday tasks. You can eat a meal and try to taste all the ingredients. You can close your eyes in a calm place and try to identify every sound you can hear around you. All of these are examples of mindfulness exercises.

Light Therapy

For a PTSD patient, light therapy can be a life-changing experience. Light therapy is a totally natural, harmless, and safe method of therapy. It can highly help you in getting rid of anxiety, stress, and insomnia. You can take light therapy at home by purchasing a therapy device from reputed manufacturers like platinumtherapylights.com.

Also, light therapy can positively impact the mood of the user. Much research has proved the effectiveness of light therapy on PTSD patients. Light therapy can also help patients deal with depression.

You can either book an appointment with a therapist or can purchase a device to use at home. Either way, it is a very effective method to deal with trauma.

Formulate Support Groups

Forming a support group is often a good idea to deal with PTSD. In a PTSD support group, everyone has gone through similar experiences, and you can all help each other deal with the trauma.

A strong support group can highly help in dealing with traumatic experiences and help you move on to your future. Talking about anxiety and panic has therapeutic benefits. It is also the first step towards healing.

Talking to people who have gone through the same experience gives you a sense of communality and assures you are not alone in this battle.

Bottom Line

PTSD is a complex problem. However, the above-mentioned therapies are not that complex. The faster you decide to get help, the sooner you can start your healing process. These therapies can assist you largely in reaching a calm state of mind. So, give these methods a try to deal with PTSD anxiety.