Post-traumatic stress disorder has probably always existed. However, only recently has medical science given it a name. Doctors and mental health professionals know more about treating it now than previously.

You should know about some strategies for managing emotional distress if you have post-traumatic stress disorder. We’ll talk about healing both the mind and body in these situations right now.

What Exactly Does Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Mean?

After World War I, some individuals had what doctors at the time called shell shock. Some experienced catatonia. Others seemed anxious, jittery, or manic. Still others vacillated between these conditions.

In today’s parlance, these individuals had post-traumatic stress. They had witnessed terrible things. They experienced them with all five senses and came out from these encounters greatly changed.

Anyone can get a post-traumatic stress diagnosis if they experience a traumatic event and it impacts them. They might experience a sexual assault or rape. They might experience combat if they’re soldiers.

Individuals who experience a natural disaster or an animal attack can develop post-traumatic stress. Anyone who survived a violent assault or a serious car wreck might have it.

You can probably think of additional situations that can cause post-traumatic stress. Many individuals have it and receive this diagnosis every day. However, some people never see a doctor or another qualified medical professional, so they never actually receive a diagnosis, even if they exhibit all the telltale signs.

Healing the Body

Many times, post-traumatic stress disorder goes along with physical trauma. If you survive a car wreck or get back from an active war zone, you must deal with your physical wounds along with your emotional or psychological ones.

That might take some time, depending on the injury’s severity. If you have healthcare, you can get a complete physical. This should help determine the extent of your injuries, and also whether you have any hidden or less obvious ones you didn’t notice yet.

You can see whether you need any corrective surgeries or any physical therapy. If you have any cuts, scrapes, or other wounds, you can ask the doctor you see about treating them.

You might simply need time if you have relatively minor injuries. You can wait while the most obvious trauma signs go away. Eventually, you should look like your old self again.

Healing the Mind

Healing the mind often takes a much longer time. If you receive a PTSD diagnosis, you must assess whether you can function in your life like you once could.

That means looking at whether you can do your job like before. Maybe your trauma connects with your profession in some way. For instance, perhaps someone attacked you at work, or you sustained a serious injury there.

If so, maybe you can’t go back. You could work from home instead, or perhaps you must get a new job entirely. Maybe you’ll leave your career if you no longer have the same passion you once did.

Once you’ve figured out your work situation, you must examine your relationships. Maybe you feel things have changed between you and your family members. Perhaps you don’t connect with your spouse like you once did. You may have intimacy issues if you’ve survived something traumatic.

Some Possible Solutions

If you feel you’ve changed since the incident or events that traumatized you, and not for the better, you must figure out what you can do to alleviate your feelings. You might pursue talk therapy. You can either do some one-on-one sessions or group therapy.

Group therapy can sometimes help because you can feel that you’re not alone. Others may have experienced similar things to what you did. You might also feel better doing one-on-one therapy. Some people might feel they should discuss what traumatized them in private, with just a single qualified mental health professional listening and giving them advice.

Mental health professionals now know much more about what they can say when someone relates their traumatic experiences so that the individual can feel better. They can help you explore your feelings deeply so you come to terms with what took place.

This process might take some time. In the worst-case scenarios, you might need years till you come back from the traumatic events or events. You may never recover your former attitude about life. Optimists can become pessimists very quickly with just one life-changing experience.

Your therapist might have you meditate or do yoga every day. You can take yoga classes designed specifically for those who have survived trauma. During these classes, you can listen closely and hear what your body tells you. It should tell you when you’re healing and how much work you must still do.

When you meditate, you might do guided meditation. The person guiding you can direct you as you follow a path into your subconscious. There, you might finally fully confront what traumatized you. You won’t forget it, but you can learn about compartmentalizing it. It might seem impossible at first, but so many survivors learn how in time.

You Can Survive What Happened and Eventually Thrive Again

At the time the traumatic event or events occurred, you might have felt like you will never get past them. Most people do, though, and they can emerge strong and victorious.

If meditation doesn’t work for you and talk therapy only does so much, you might try something different. Maybe medication will work. You can bring it up with your doctor or therapist. Sometimes, antidepressants can help you take back your autonomy and life.

You might take up a martial art or get a gym membership. You can beat up a heavy bag every day. Some therapists might suggest you go into a room by yourself and scream into a pillow if you’re having intense emotions that you must let out.

Don’t think your life ends where your trauma begins. You can almost always get past it if you believe and have the right people around you.