Five Health Tips To Manage PTSD Anxiety

PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a disorder that is categorically characterized by the inability to recover after witnessing a terrifying event. Although most commonly associated with war veterans, PTSD often results from; sexual abuse, road accidents, physical assaults, terrorist attacks, and any nerve-wracking event that leaves one in severe shock. Some victims of these unfortunate events might be able to heal and get along just fine with their lives. Still, some other individuals might fail to recover and become irrationally sensitive to everything around them.

How It Affects Individuals?

In the US PTSD is much more common among ethnic groups like Latinos, African Americans and American Indians. It is also around three times more prevalent in female adults compared to males.

Post-traumatic stress and PTSD are pathological because they are deviations from the normal neuronal pathway. Typically, endocrine chemicals like cortisol and adrenalin are released in mass into the neural system when an unpleasant event occurs. These hormones prepare the body for flight and fight response. After the situation is controlled, the individual ought to return to his normal physiological state, but when this "reset" fails to happen, the problem can be judged to be PTSD.

This disorder affects the nervous system and can linger on for months or even years, causing the sufferer to recall pictures and memories from the incident when triggered. PTSD also interplays with the sufferer's emotions, causing extreme physical and emotional reactions. Hence, it is not uncommon to find sufferers of PTSD in severe stress, fear, and excessive worry. They are also characterized by sleep deprivation, moodiness, frequent flashbacks to unpleasant events, etc. And, according to the ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America), about 7.7 million adults in the United States suffer from this condition. As a result, since PTSD is a prevalent health challenge, it would help to know some tips to employ when it is needed.

Now we've covered the fundamentals, lets explore five tips that can be helpful for managing PTSD successfully.

Use CBD

CBD is the all-powerful multi-purpose component of the hemp plant that has been shown to help relieve various forms of health conditions. Previous research showed that cannabis could eliminate anxiety or prevent heightened concern altogether.

A study carried out on cannabis in 2019 showed that this plant helps combat PTSD, and although scientists are still not clear on the mechanism of action of CBD, they presume that CBD acts on the amygdala and hippocampus.

Another group of researchers believes that CBD can completely extinguish terrifying memories. Whichever is the case, it is confirmed that CBD brings relief to PTSD. So, you can try CBD for reducing PTSD symptoms, and there is also a wide range of CBD products to sample. There are CBD oils, gummies, sprays, pills, etc.

Mindfulness Meditation

It is a fact that relaxation and meditation help relieve a wide range of medical conditions, so this concept of mindful meditation seems to be very promising as a cure for PTSD. It is non-invasive but entails mindful-based cognitive therapy. Meditation works for hand in hand with relaxation techniques, so firstly, get in the habit of pampering your body.

Get sufficient sleep, eat rightly, and perform some physical stunts. You might not be the type to languish in a spa but indulge in what works for you. Perform any activity that gives you happiness; swim, walk, stretch, listen to songs, jog, dance, cycle, etc. Engage in these activities to enforce an explicit awareness of your present reality on your consciousness centers.

Art Therapy

This PTSD therapy has gradually begun to pick up magnitude over the years. This therapy aims to help people with PTSD externalize and learn to handle their deep-seated emotional hurts.

They encourage PTSD patients to relieve themselves of the painful memories by channeling their emotional energies into art. So, these patients get to paint, draw and create sculptures. By so doing, the people living with PTSD find some relief from their aches and anxieties.

Regain Focus Through Physical Activity

It is a testimony from the lips of confirmed PTSD sufferers that engaging in pleasurable physical activities provides them with strength and helps alleviate their stress levels. These physical activities are not only meant to whisk you away from your problems temporarily, but they also help you to recall how great your life was before the trauma. In similitude to the relaxation techniques, the best thing to do here is to comply with what is most suitable for you, and there are tons of hobbies you could pick from.

Engaging in these activities would also provide the much-needed boost you need to sleep properly. Get a trusted friend or partner to carry out these activities with, and not only would you have strengthened your muscles, but your mind would also be made healthier.

Pets for PTSD

One of the least exploited methods of combating PTSD is employing pets' help. Of course, pets are susceptible to becoming additional burdens but, some trained pets can help people living with PTSD cope with their condition. By purchasing one of these highly trained pets, you can be assured of short-term help managing your anxiety level.

These 'super pets' are trained to sense when a person living with PTSD begins to drift into anxiety. On perceiving this, the pets try to gain the attention of their owners and help them snap out of their invisible illness.

Conclusion

PTSD is a menace that might not be visible to the eyes, but can have dire long-term consequences if left to roam free. Therefore, if you have a loved one who suffers from this condition, it's recommended to share the tips highlighted in this article.

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