After a traumatic event, you may experience a wide range of emotional feelings. It’s important to incorporate healthy coping strategies. The following are just a few actions you can take:

• Understanding your symptoms and feelings is your body’s normal response to the traumatic event.
• Be patient with yourself; the journey to healing is a process.
• Create a safe place for yourself; Make the place easily accessible and fill with things of comfort (candle, blankets, happy photos, etc.)
• Avoid alcohol and drugs
• Establish normal daily routines for meals, exercise, and sleep.
• Make stress reduction a priority; practice breathing and relaxing techniques several times a day.
• Get enough quality sleep
• Minimize your media exposure, especially negative feeds
• Stay active (i.e. go for a walk, focus on a hobby, read a good book, volunteer )
• Avoid spending a lot of time alone. Spend time with loved ones and trusted friends who are supportive.
• Avoid making major life decisions
• Recognize help is available if needed; speak to a trauma-trained therapist.

If you find yourself struggling and unable to maintain healthy coping skills, you should reach out for help. If triggered and re-experiencing the trauma or start to have nightmares about the trauma, you should reach out to a professional for help through trauma therapy.  Every person and every trauma is unique.

At New Heights Counseling, we understand this and offer several therapeutic approaches for our clients. Our reputable trauma and PTSD consist of highly trained therapists and clinicians that have experience in helping people cope and recover from various forms of trauma. For any questions you may have, please give us a call at 850-757-1552. To learn more visit Understanding Trauma.

Additional Articles/Resources:

• How to cope with traumatic stress – America Psychological Association
• Coping Tips for Traumatic Events and Disasters – SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
• Coping With A Traumatic Event – CDC Injury Prevention