Because their anxiety can be so strong, they sometimes rely on unhealthycopingmethods, such asdrug or alcohol use.
It’s not just anxiety that makes it tough to cope with PTSD.
These symptoms tend to make anxiety even worse.
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No wonder it can be so hard to function in different aspects of everyday life.
At a Glance
Trauma leaves lasting emotional wounds, including increased feelings of anxiety.
Fortunately, many healthy coping skills for PTSD can help ease anxiety and other symptoms.
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Strategies that may help include deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness, and self-monitoring.
Social support, self-soothing, and expressive writing can also be helpful.
These strategies may help reduce the intensity of anxiety, lessen its frequency, and/or make it more tolerable.
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Deep Breathing
Breathing plays an important role in thestress response.
Unfortunately, many people do not breathe properly.
Natural breathing involves your diaphragm, a large muscle in your abdomen.
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When you breathe in, your belly should expand.
When you breathe out, your belly should fall.
Over time, people forget how to breathe this way and instead use their chest and shoulders.
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This causes short and shallow breaths, which can increase stress and anxiety.
This relaxation method is similar to a pendulum.
To completely relax your muscles, you first start by doing the exact opposite.
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In other words, tense your muscles before relaxing them.
Mindfulness
Mindfulnesstechniques are useful coping skills for PTSD.
Mindfulness is about being in touch with and aware of the present moment.
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Mindfulness can help us get out of our heads and into touch with the present moment.
You may find it helpful to practice mindfulness under the guidance of atrauma-informed therapist.
Self-monitoring is a technique that involves carefully observing and recording specific thoughts, behaviors, sensations, or emotions.
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People are creatures of habit.
Lack of awareness may make people feel their thoughts and emotions are unpredictable and unmanageable.
The goal of self-monitoring is to help people gain more insight into their symptoms and coping skills.
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It can be a useful coping skill for PTSD and a simple way of increasing awareness.
When you are dealing with a stressful situation, it helps to have a trusted person to turn to.
Supportive people can also be a great source ofemotional validation.
However, simply having someone available to talk to may not be enough.
A supportive relationship has several important pieces that may be particularly beneficial in helping someone manage their anxiety.
For example, seeking out social support can be an excellent way of improving your mood.
These coping strategies focus on improving your mood and reducing anxiety and are sometimes described asself-soothingor self-care coping strategies.
Expressive writing has been found to improve physical and psychological health.
Focusing on a strong emotion can make it feel stronger and more out of control.
Temporarily distracting yourself can give the emotion time to decrease in intensity, which makes it easier to manage.
Through behavioral activation, it’s possible for you to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
To try this approach, list activities that you find rewarding.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
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