The post traumatic stress disorder is a mental illness that originates from having suffered or having witnessed a highly traumatic event. For example, a rape, a kidnapping, an accident, etc. The person who has experienced or witnessed these types of events re-experiences them over and over again in his mind despite the passage of time. When the person re-experiences these types of events, intense reactions of anguish usually appear in them, anxiety, fear, feelings of lack of control of the situation, among other highly uncomfortable reactions and negative. Obviously, it is very difficult for the person with post-traumatic stress disorder to go through this situation, since It can trigger other types of disorders to appear, however, it is also for those closest to her. Because the mood of the person with this type of condition changes, living with them may become more difficult or, It simply generates in the person who takes care of her a certain impotence and frustration when she realizes that he cannot do anything to solve it. But how can we help you? Can we do something?
In this Psychology-Online article, we will know in detail how to help a person with post-traumatic stress disorder Through a series of tips that will be very useful, but first we are going to let you know what the most common symptoms of this disorder are.
To know how to treat a person with post-traumatic stress disorder, we need to know the symptoms that people who suffer from it have in common. Some of the most common symptoms are as follows:
- Avoid places and / or people related to the trauma experienced.
- Recurring thoughts or memories about the traumatic event, which generates a lot of anguish and fear.
- Negative, pessimistic and exaggerated thoughts about all kinds of situations.
- Constant nightmares about the traumatic event or about similar events.
- Having forgotten important details about the traumatic event.
- Having sleep problems, such as insomnia.
- Manifest aggressive behaviors towards others and / or towards themselves. For example, insulting other people, abusing drugs, constantly resorting to risky behaviors, etc.
- Stop enjoying doing activities that you used to like or living with people you used to enjoy.
- They may appear panic attacks with their respective symptoms.
- Having suicidal thoughts
When you want to help a person with post-traumatic stress disorder and we are very close to the person affected, it is important not to forget ourselves and our well-being. Some tips that we can follow to take care of ourselves are the following:
- Don't feel guilty. People who are dedicated to caring for and supporting others can often feel guilty that the person affected does not improve and they feel obliged to do so, as if the one who improved is totally in their hands. You have to remember that you are not guilty of anything, the person will improve or not according to the effort that she puts into it. themselves or according to their circumstances, others already do enough to achieve it but no one is in control of this.
- Seek support from family and / or friends. This point is key to be able to be as much as possible in mental balance, to be distracted and not isolate yourself from others, which is the worst thing you can do.
- Take time for yourself. It is necessary to dedicate time also to oneself and not only to live to dedicate it to others or in this case to the person with PTSD who is helping.
- Exercise and eat healthy. A balanced and healthy diet as well as a good dose of physical exercise are essential to optimize ourselves physically and emotionally. If we want to help someone, we must first take care of ourselves.
- Mindfulness or meditation. The practice of mindfulness or meditation It is of great help to both the person suffering from PTSD and the caregiver. Practicing this type of technique helps us regulate our emotions and focus our mind on the present moment, since we generally ramble about the past or the future, which, especially in PTSD, brings a lot of suffering.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
