Post-traumatic stress: how to overcome

Throughout life, any of us can live an experience that escapes our control, causes us fear and makes us feel terrified and horrified. These experiences can be very varied and traumatic: have a car accident, live a natural disaster, be victims of an assault, etc. are some of them and generate what is known as posttraumatic stress.

Most people, who go through a traumatic situation, end up recomposing themselves from the situation and continue with their lives. However, there are some people that you are traumatic experiences they provoke a series of reactions and symptoms that threaten their well-being and that do not allow them to continue and overcome the lived experience.


What is post-traumatic stress

One person suffers posttraumatic stress when he has experienced or witnessed a traumatic event where his physical integrity or that of others has been threatened and he has felt intense fear and horror.

The symptoms experienced by the person who suffers do not remain here, the person suffering from post-traumatic stress continues to relive the situation through nightmares or intrusive memories that he can not control, avoid all situations that remind him of the event or make him feel like He felt at that moment and lives a whole series of emotional reactions such as being more alert, having frights, etc.

Post-traumatic stress usually appears immediately after the traumatic event, although in some people, the symptoms start appearing after the traumatic experience.


Characteristics of post-traumatic stress

The person who is suffering from post-traumatic stress suffers a series of symptoms that prevent him from leaving the discomfort he feels and that if not treated properly will affect his psychological, emotional and social well-being. Some of these characteristics are:

1. Flashbacks, the person involuntarily relives aspects of the traumatic event in a very real way, acts and feels as if the traumatic situation experienced previously was happening again.

2. Recurring dreams that cause discomfort, revive in the form of nightmares or images the event lived.

3. Avoidance of memories related to trauma, This includes the people and situations associated with the traumatic event. They avoid thinking or talking about the event, they may not even remember important aspects of it.


4. Hyperactivation, these people can be always alert, looking for signs of danger, they startle easily, they feel irritated and they can have difficulties to fall asleep and concentrate.

5. Emotional instability, they have feelings of guilt, loss of interest in activities that they liked, and a decrease in the ability to live and show feelings.

How to overcome post-traumatic stress

Below are some tips that we can put into practice to feel better and be able to overcome:

1. Support, the support of our friends and family is needed, having someone with whom we can talk and express our feelings helps us to cope with the situation.

2. Healthy habits, it is necessary to increase the quality of life, for this it is important to have a good diet, perform activities that we like and keep us busy, exercise and have a good rest.

3. Learn to relax, Relaxation helps us to be less alert and to diminish the physical sensations that provoke anxiety.

4. Positive emotions, It is proven that thinking and feeling positively helps us to overcome trauma beforehand and allows us to find resources to cope with the discomfort.

5. Ask for help, If you can not get out of the situation by yourself, seek help from a professional who can guide and guide you in the recovery process.

Rocío Navarro Psychologist Director of Psicolari, integral psychology

Video: Mental Health Help : How to Overcome PTSD


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